The Story of Wei
by BlackReaper456
Summary: Legend tells of a warrior, a warrior whose swordsmanship earned him the nickname: The Demon Swordsman. He was sent to Chor-Gom prison for a heroic action, he escaped and met Po and the Furious Five. His name is Wei, and this is his story. Also feelings begin to bud between a certain panda and a certain tiger. Summary sucks I know, but the story itself is far better.
1. Chapter 1: The Prisoner

**Chapter 1: The Prisoner **

A fierce blizzard blew past the mountains, cloaking the area in a thick veil where only the mountains themselves could be seen. On the snowy peak of one of these mountains was an elaborate stronghold, the exterior of the stronghold was merely an enormous set of double doors and the formation of the moutain surrounding it closely resembled a mouth.

But interior consists of an enormous cavern that was 3,000 feet deep. A pathway spiralled around the walls, reaching all the way down the bottom with sentry towers at multiple intervals. This place was none other the Chor-Gom Prison, which was famous for holding the infamous Kung-Fu master Tai Lung.

In one of prison's many cells a prisoner sat in the darkest corner of his cell, his knees were against his chest and cold, rusty shackles were clamped onto his wrists. Only half of his cell was lit by the flaming torches being held on the wall outside of his cell.

The only sounds in the prison was the flickering fires of the torches admist the howling of the wind outside of the prison. The sounds of footsteps echoed in the prisoner's ears, the footsteps got closer and closer until one of the members of the Anvil of Heaven stepped into his line of sight.

In the rhino's right hand was a small, wooden bowl containing the disgusting stew that the prison made along with a wooden spoon buried in it. The rhino chucked it through the bars of the cell door and the bowl clatter onto the stone floor. A few drops of the stew escaped the bowl and stained the floor while the spoon slipped out of the bowl and clattered onto the floor. The prisoner's glowing blue eyes looked down at the bowl.

The prisoner slowly blinked his eyes before returning his gaze towards the rhino.

"Enjoy the food." said rhino sarcastically, the prisoner narrowed his eyes into a glare. A miscievious smirk stretched across the rhino's face, he then turned to his left and walked past the cell door. The prisoner could hear his footsteps getting further away and quieter until he couldn't here them anymore.

The prisoner looked down at the stew, he rose to his feet and approached the bowl. Once he stepped into the light his appearance was shown, he was a white tiger who looked 20 years of age. He was 6 feet tall, broad-shouldered and had a defined muscular build. His most noticable feature were the 3 vertical scars on his left eye that started just above his brow and ended just below his cheekbone.

He was wearing an aged brown tunic, tattered brown pants and a black, silk scarf wrapped around his neck. The prisoner bent down and picked up the bowl and the spoon, he stood up straight and stared at the content.

The stew was green and it was mixed with the leftover vegetables that one of the guards had for dinner the previous night. He dug the spoon into the stew and scooped some of it out, he opened his mouth and inserted the spoon.

He closed his mouth around the spoon and pulled it out of his mouth, he quickly spat out the stew. The taste was foul and rotten, he dropped the spoon causing it to clatter on the floor. He then turned to his left and threw the bowl at the wall, most of the stew splattered against the stone wall. The bowl dropped onto the floor and rolled around in a circle will the rest of the stew slowly poured out while the vegetables remained in the bowl.

The prisoner retreated back into the dark corner of his cell and collapsed onto his posterior and he was once again silhouetted by the darkness. A yawn escaped the prisoner's lips and his eyelids became heavy. The prisoner then slipped into a deep slumber.

* * *

_A young white tiger cub stood on a grassy, green hill overlooking the sunset which left the sky a beautiful mix of red, yellow and orange. Standing on his right was a female white tiger and to his left was a male white tiger. _

_The female was 5 ft 8 and had a slender, curved body. She had eyes as blue as the summer sky and a smile that could brighten even the darkest of days. She was wearing a black dress with white trimmings and a white flower pattern on the back. _

_The male was 6 ft 2, broad-shouldered and was extremely muscular. He had piercing obsidian eyes and a strong jaw. He was wearing armour which consisted of a silver chest-plate, silver shoulder pads and silver gauntlets. He was also wearing black, silk pants and strapped to the right side of his waist was a katana kept in a black sheath with a metal tip. _

_The scene then turned into a blinding a white light but it faded as quickly as it came. The scene then changed to small village, the houses were on fire and bandits roamed through the village. They were either setting more houses on fire or attacking the villagers. Men, women and children ran, screaming through the village trying get away from the attackers. _

_The white tiger in armour stood, encircled by bandits. His wife and son dashed into the forest that surrounded the village, the mother was holding her child by the wrist and sprinted through the forest as fast as they both could. _

_The cub could multiple footsteps admist the crunching of the snow. Then an eerie scream echoed through the forest. _

* * *

The prisoner's eyes snapped open, he brought his paws up to eyes and rubbed them. He heard footsteps getting louder and closer. Two guards stepped into the prisoner's line of vision, they were both weilding poleaxes.

"Get up prisoner, it's time for your execution." said one of the guards sternly, the prisoner rose to his feet and approached the cell door. One of the guards reached for a ring of keys strapped to his waist, he pulled it off of his waist and flicked through the keys, looking for the one that would unlock the cell door.

He finally found the key he was looking for and he inserted it into the keyhole. He twisted it clockwise and a loud click rung in the prisoner's ear. The guard pulled the key out of the keyhole and he reattached ring of keys to his waist.

The other guard slid open the cell door and the prisoner stepped out of the cell. The guards and the prisoner all turned to their left and walked down the cell block. The guards stood at both of the prisoner sides with their hands firmly gripping the poles of their poleaxes.

The prisoner decided to wait for the perfect oppurtunity to make his move, after walking through the cell block they arrived at one of the many bridges of Chor-Gom Prison. They began crossing the bridge, the prisoner's gaze shifted around. There wasn't a guard insight and he knew this was the perfect oppurtunity to strike.

The prisoner ducked down, extended his right leg, spun around and he tripped the guards, causing them both to land on their backs. The prisoner quickly rose to his feet and turned to the guard of his left, he quickly bent down and snatched the keys off of the guard's waist while he was still dazed.

He stuck a key in the keyhole of the shackle of his left wrist, the prisoner heard a click and shackle released its grip and slipped off of his wrist. He then stuck the key into the keyhole of the right shackle, after a loud click the shackle slipped off of his wrist and both shackles dropped to the ground. The sound of the shackles hitting the ground echoed throughout the cavern.

The guard on his right recovered, he then gripped his poleaxe with left hand and got to his feet. He gripped his other hand onto the pole before he rose it above his head, the prisoner didn't notice until he spotted the guard's shadow.

He quickly twisted around just as the guard brought his poleaxe down on him. At the very last second the prisoner caught the axe blade with both paws, stopping the attack. He then planted a strong kick to the rhino's chest causing him to let go of his poleaxe and stagger backwards.

The guard backed into edge of the bridge causing to slip over it and fall into the cavern below. The prisoner ran towards the edge of the bridge and looked over it, he could watch as the guard disappeared into the seemingly bottomless, black abyss. The guards frightful crys echoed through the caverns.

The prisoner quickly turned around facing the other and he gripped the poleaxe firmly and held it horizontally. The other guard grabbed his poleaxe and rose to his feet, he glared into the prisoner's eyes and gritted his teeth.

The guard swung his axe diagonally at the prisoner's head, the prisoner ducked down causing the axe blade to glide past his head. The prisoner lunged at the guard and swung his poleaxe diagonally into the left of the guard's body.

The guard cried out in pain as blood oozed from his wound, staining the axe blade and streaming down his body. The prisoner yanked the axe blade out of the guard's body, the guard dropped his poleaxe and it clattered onto the ground. He placed his hands over his wound to stop bleeding but then the prisoner planted the bottom of his poleaxe into the guard's head. Knocking him out instantly, the guard slumped to his left and the prisoner watched as a pool of blood dilated from the guard's wound.

The prisoner threw the bloodstained poleaxe to the ground causing a clang to echo through the cavern. He then turned around and ran across the bridge.

The prisoner stealthly made his way through the prison, he kept to the shadows so he wouldn't be spotted by the other guards. He eventually reached a wooden door, he kept sticking keys into the keyhole but none of them fit.

Finally the last key managed to fit into the keyhole, he twisted it clockwise and a loud click rang past his ear. He pushed the door open revealing the storage room on the other side, this is where they kept the prisoner's belongings.

He spotted a large chest at the other end of the room, he quietly walked over to the chest and knelt down in front of it. He stuck one of the keys into the keyhole and it was a perfect fit, he twisted the key clockwise and he heard a click. He pulled the key out of the keyhole and opened the chest, inside was just what he was looking for. A long katana that was kept in a black sheath with a metal tip.

The prisoner picked up the sheathed sword before he stood up straight and strapped it to the left of his waist.

He turned and walked out of the storage room, now all he had to do was escape. He quickly and stealthly made his way towards the exit, luckily he hadn't been spotted yet. Once he reached the final bridge his eyes darted across it and he spotted two poleaxe weilding guards.

The prisoner gritted his teeth and a growl escaped his throat, he was hoping to escape this place without them even knowing but that doesn't appear to be an option now. The prisoner gripped the black handle of his katana and slowly unsheathed it revealing a long, shiny curve-edge blade.

The prisoner held out the sword to his right and then he sprinted towards the two guards. The guards' eyes darted across the bridge and they spotted the katana weilding white tiger closing in on them.

"The Prisoner's escaped!" exclaimed one of the guards, once the prisoner was within range one of the guards stepped forward and quickly extended his poleaxe forward.

The prisoner leaned to his left causing the axe blade to go past his left arm, he then raised his katana above his head and brought it down of the poleaxe. The poleaxe was sliced in half, the prisoner then forced his left knee into the guard's stomach.

The guard dropped the sliced pole, wrapped him arms over his stomach and he slumped forward. The other guard swung his poleaxe diagonally but the prisoner immediately jumped back, the axe blade missed with exception of slicing a hole in his tunic.

The prisoner lunged at the guard and slammed the bottom of his katana onto left side of the guard's head. The guard dropped his poleaxe, the weapon clattered onto the floor.

The guard put his hand to his bruised head and dropped to his knees, the prisoner then landed a roundhouse kick to the guard's jaw knocking him out immediately. The guard slumped to his right, the prisoner then glided his katana back into its sheathe.

He turned to his right, facing the enormous double doors and approached them. He pushed one of the doors open slightly and he squeezed through it.

The prisoner found himself in the blistering cold of the outside world, the strong wind blew again his person while snow got caught in his fur and on his clothes. His black scarf was blown to his left and danced gracefully in the wind, the prisoner then walked forward, away from Chor-Gom Prison and then his figure disappeared into the snowy veil.


	2. Chapter 2: The Valley of Peace

**Chapter 2: The Valley of Peace **

Lightning cracked in the night sky above as the prisoner wondered aimlessly through the bamboo forest. The heavy rain showered onto his person, drenching and disordering his fur as droplets streaked down his face. The rain soaked his clothes causing them to stick to his body which wasn't very comfortable.

Thundered roared above as a powerful gust of wind blew against his person causing his black scarf to dance gracefully behind him. The prisoner's body shivered and goosebumps formed all over his body. The strength of the wind caused the bamboo shoots to bend backwards.

The prisoner stopped in his tracks and turned his head in all directions, his blue eyes searched the forest in hopes of spotting a village or any populated area. But there were bamboo shoots as far as the eye could see and the heavy shower of the rain.

A sigh escaped the prisoner's lip, due to the cold air his breath was visible. He continued walking through the forest, the howling admist the sound of thunder rang past the prisoner's ears.

Meanwhile a large, elaborately-designed palace stood proudly atop a large mountain overlooking a large village below. The roofs of the palace were coloured jade green as well as the main entrance. However the roofs were also decorated by the colours blue, orange, yellow and red. The pillars that supported the lower roof were coloured red and golden dragons spiralled down them.

The exterior of the palace was soaked by the heavy shower, water streaked down the roofs and droplets dripped off the edge. The interior consisted of a large hall. Inside this hall were many weapons and artifacts, a large pool sat at the end of the hall with shelves holding a thousand scrolls resting on the wall behind it. On the ceiling above the pool was a golden dragon statue. This place is known as the Jade Palace.

An elderly red panda sat, meditating in the lotus position. He wore a jade green shawl that was kept together by a golden clasp over a reddish-burgundy robe. The robe has golden wave designs on jade green cuffs. He also wore close-toed sandals and traditional shaolin leg wraps on his ankles and lower legs. Lit candles encircled his small figure, the moon pool that lied in front of him gave off a dim glow like the moon itself.

The red panda slowly inhaled through his nose and exhaled nasally, a knock at the enormous double doors at the other end of the hall behind him caused the red panda to snap out of his deep meditation and his icy blue eyes slowly opened. The red panda rose to his and turned around facing the double doors.

There were two more knocks on one of the doors and the red panda hurried over to them. The red panda pulled both of the doors open revealing one of the members of thr Anvil of Heaven on the other side.

His hide and armour were drenched in the rain, in his left hand he held a scroll. The rhino bowed to red panda respectfully.

"Greetings Grandmaster Shifu." he said before returning to his normal, straight posture.

"What can I do for you?" Shifu asked kindly

"The Anvil of Heaven are in need of your assistance." replied the rhino, Shifu raised an eye brow.

"Why? What has happened?"

"A very dangerous man has escaped Chor-Gom Prison."

"Who?"

"Do you remember Lord Chu?" asked the rhino, Shifu turned his gaze away from the rhino.

"Lord Chu..." Shifu's voice trailed off as he tried to remember the name. Then it finally came to him and he returned his gaze towards the rhino.

"Yes, he was a nobleman, he was murdered 6 months ago." The rhino nodded his head in confirmation.

"Correct, his murderer escaped the other night, he took down four of my men and one of them is in critical condition." explained the rhino, Shifu's eyes widened and his lips parted.

"My goodness, I will alert my students immediately and if we see him well will capture him. I'll then send my messanger Zeng to let you know and you can come and get him." The rhino's lips stretched into a smile and he bowed once more.

"Thank you, Grandmaster Shifu." said the rhino before he returned to his straight posture.

"Here, take this." he said as he handed him the scroll, Shifu kindly took the scroll and the rhino withdrew his hand. He then turned around and walked over to the top of the steps and began walking down them. Once the rhino disappeared from his sight Shifu opened the scroll and glanced down at the content.

The scroll was a wanted poster, on it was the picture of a tiger with 3 vertical scars going down his left eye. Below the picture were the words "Dead or Alive" and the price for his capture was £3000. Shifu's eyes scanned the paper for the young man's name but it wasn't on there.

Shifu then stepped through the open doors, the heavy rain quickly drenched his fur and soaked his clothes. He made his way towards the barracks where is students were resting.

Once he arrived at the barracks he quickly went inside to get out of the rain and he proceeded to the hall outside of the students' bedrooms. 5 of the rooms were lit by the lanterns inside, indicating that the students in the rooms were awake while the 6th one was completely dark and sound of loud snoring made Shifu's ears twitch.

"Everyone, get out here immediately!" ordered Shifu sternly, not long after he spoke those words the doors to the 5 lit rooms were slid open and the students stepped into the hallway.

First of all was a small, green chineses mantis. This was Master Mantis, opposite him was a golden snub-nosed monkey wearing brown sweatpant with a golden coloured sash wrapped around his waist. He was also wearing shaolin leg wraps around his ankles and lower legs and brown, leather studded wristbands. This was Master Monkey.

Next was a green tree viper with two lotus flowers attached to her head and she didn't appear to have fangs. This was Master Viper, opposite her was a black-necked crane. He was wearing loose, blue pants with a purple sash wrapped around his waist, 5 ankle rings on each leg and a rice hat sat atop his head. This was Master Crane.

Finally there was a south chinese tiger, she was wearing a red vest with black trimmings and a golden vine pattern. She was also wearing black, silk pants and black sandals with the soles designed to resemble paw pads. This was Master Tigress, the (un-official) leader of the Furious Five.

Shifu gazed at the 6th room where the snoring was originating, he closed his eyes and let out a sigh of both disappointment and irritation. He then opened his eyes and turned his gaze towards Tigress.

"Tigress, go and wake up Po." ordered Shifu, a sigh escape the tiger's lips and approached the room opposite her. She slid the door open and her amber eyes darted across the room where she saw a panda sleeping on his left side. He wearing a pair of burlap pants with a striped red and gold coloured strap. That was Po, the Dragon Warrior.

Tigress approached the panda, his snores got louder the closer she got. Once she was at his bedside she placed her left paw on his right shoulder and gently shook.

"Po wake up." she said, Po's jade green eyes fluttered open. As Tigress withdrew her paw Po sat up from the bed, he then brought his paws up to his face and rubbed his eyes.

He then took his paws away from his eyes and blinked a couple of times before he fixed his gaze on Tigress.

"Tigress...? What time is it?" he asked tiredly

"Late, now get up. Master Shifu needs to speak to us." she then turned around and walked over to the door, Po watched Tigress leave his room and for some reason he couldn't take his eyes off her.

He finally climbed out of bed and groggily exited his room. He stood in the hallway outside of his room and he turned his gaze to Shifu who stood at the other end of the hallway.

"Glad you decided to join us Po, now all of you listen. Do you any of you remember Lord Chu?" asked Shifu

"Yeah, I do." Said Po

"He was a nobleman from the Emerald City, I heard that he died 6 months ago."

"He was murdered Po, and now the man responsible has escaped from Chor-Gom Prison and is now on the loose." said Shifu, Everyone's eyes windened and their mouths gaped in shock.

"B-but how? Only skilled Masters have escaped from Chor-Gom. Are you saying that some random criminal just walked on out of there?" asked Po

"Yes, whoever this person is he's skilled in both stealth and kung-fu. So you better be on your guard." said Shifu

"What does this criminal look like?" asked Tigress, Shifu walked across the hallway and approached Tigress.

He then handed her the wanted poster and he withdrew his hand once she took it. She gazed down at the picture while the others walked over to her to get a look at it. Mantis hopped into the air and landed on Tigress' right shoulder, Po who stood at Tigress' left leaned in closer to look at the poster. Crane stood at Tigress' right and he too leaned in closer to look at the poster.

Monkey stood in front of Po and glanced up at the poster, Viper who was in front of Tigress rose higher then her regular height and stared at the picture. They all stared at the painting of the tiger and they all took a mental picture so that they'd know him if they see him.

Meanwhile just outside of the Valley of Peace the prisoner stood in heavy rain, he stared at the village in front of him for a few moments before he slowly turned his gaze to his left where a large sign stood a foot away from him. He couldn't make out what it said due to the darkness but then there was a sudden flash of lightning, the sign said "The Valley of Peace." The flash then faded away.

The prisoner turned his gaze forward.

"The Valley of Peace, eh?"


	3. Chapter 3: My Name is Wei Zhao

**Chapter 3: My Name is Wei Zhao**

The prisoner wandered through the village, the heavy shower poured down onto his person. The streets were silent, all that was heard were the sounds of his firm footsteps hitting the wet ground causing a splatting sound amidst the thunder roaring in the night sky above.

The prisoner's gaze moved in all directions in hopes of spotting shelter, the sight of an alleyway between two houses to his left caught his eyes. He hurried into the alleyway and collasped onto his posterior and let out a weary sigh.

He then reached for the sheathed katana to the left of waist and unstrapped it. He then gently rested it against the wall to his left and he leaned his head against the cold, wet wall.

The prisoner's eyes grew heavy, his eyes slowly closed before he drifted off into slumber.

* * *

_The white tiger cub stared in horror at the scene, houses were aflame and people were running, screaming in terror. The cub's blue eyes shifted to his left where a large bandit stood, his appearance was silhouetted by the smoke and the small embers that floated past his bulky figure. All he could see were a pair of glowing, red eyes and he was gripping something large with his left paw. The cub narrowed his eyes to see what it was, but when he saw what the bandit was holding his eyes widened and his mouth hung open. _

_The bandit was holding the limp body of the cub's father, his eyes were rolled back into his head and his black and white fur was stained by his own blood and the blood of his adverseries _

_Tears welled up in the cub's eyes, his jaw quivered and his legs shaked. The silhouette holding his father turned his gaze to the young cub and narrowed his blood, red eyes into a glare. The silhouette dropped the cub's father and quickly approached the cub with bloodlust in his eyes and a wicked grin stretched across his face. _

_The silhouette stood in front of the white tiger cub, his glowing red eyes glared down at him. The cub wanted to run away as fast as he could but his limbs were stiff from fear, he couldn't move a muscle. _

_The silhouette slowly raised his left paw high above his head, sharp claws slowly protruded from his fingertips. The faint glow of the fires around him caused them glow slightly, the silhouette released a menacing chuckle before he swiped his claws vertically down onto the cub. _

_Suddenly there was a flash of white and a maniacal laughter. _

* * *

The prisoner's eyes snapped open, he blinked a few times before his vision cleared. The rain had stopped but the sky was still dark and his fur and clothes were still drenched from the heavy shower. he glanced up and his blue eyes stared at the night sky, the moon was full and it was encircled by a dim glow and the sky was filled with stars.

Just then a shrill cry pierced the prisoner's ears, he got to his feet and grabbed his katana. He then quickly strapped it to the left of his waist before he stepped out of the alleyway, the shrill cry echoed through the streets once again.

The prisoner sprinted down the street and followed the sound of the cries until they got louder and closer. His eyes darted acoss the dark streets, he saw a small pig family being harrassed by a group of six bandits.

"I said give me all of your money!" demanded one of the bandits in a gruff voice, the bandit was an Ox, he was very large and bulky, he had piercing brown eyes. He wore brown, scratched, single shoulder-padded armour and a brown, armoured kilt. His body was coated in scars and strapped to the left of his waist was a long, sheathed sword.

The male pig quaked in fear as he held his wife with his left arm and his little girl in his right. He was too scared to speak up, there was a brief moment of silence before the bandit scoffed.

"Alright then, I'll just loot it from your corpses!" exclaimed the ox bandit, he reached his right hand to handle of the sheathed sword strapped to his waist. He gripped the handle firmly before he slowly unsheathed the blade from his scabbard.

Once the blade was unsheathed he exntended his arm to his right, the pig family shivered in fear at the sight of the blade, the daughter buried her face into her father's shirt and whimpered.

The ox bandit raised the blade high above his head while the other five bandits snickered and gave the family wicked grins. The wife closed her eyes and buried her head into the crook of her husband's neck. The ox bandit then brought the blade down onto the husband, the pig's shut his eyes tight and he waited for death but then...

"Stop!" exclaimed a voice, the pig forced open his right eye and saw the blade of the ox bandit's sword hovering only centimeters above his head. All six bandits turned around and their gazes were fixed on the white tiger standing 15 feet behind them, glaring at them with his piercing blue eyes.

The ox bandit lowered his blade and stepped in front of the group.

"Oh yeah? And what're you going to do about?" asked the ox bandit, the prisoner narrowed his eyes into a glare.

He gripped his scabbard with his left hand and used his thumb to push the hilt up revealing a small bit of the blade. The ox bandit got the message and let out a chuckle. He then extended his right arm and pointed the sword at the prisoner.

"Alright, come at me." the ox bandit dared, the prisoner's right paw glided towards the handle of his katana and he gripped it firmly. He slowly unsheathed the curved-edged blade from the scabbard. The shiny blade of the katana glinted in the moonlight.

A cool breeze blew past the two swordsmen causing a few leaves to gracefully float away. The ox bandit then sprinted towards the prisoner while tightening his grip on the handle of his sword.

The prisoner didn't move, he just stood with his feet firmly planted onto the ground and his eyes glaring at the ox bandit who was closing in on him fast. Once he was within range the ox bandit thrusts his arm forward with the tip of the blade aimed at the prisoner's heart, a painful cry was heard amidst the sound of a blade piercing through flesh and bone.

Blood spilled onto ground, the ox bandit stood in front of the prisoner, glaring into his eyes and the prisoner did the same. The other five bandits stared with widened eyes and open mouths in both horror and shock. The blade to the ox bandit's sword had gone through the gap between the prisoner's left arm and his body while the blade to the prisoner's katana had pierced through the ox bandit's chest and was now sticking out of his back.

The prisoner watched as the ox bandit's pupils shrank, he pulled the blooded blade out of the ox bandit's body. Blood dripped off shiny blade and onto the ground at his feet, the ox bandit staggered backwards before his body slumped forward and landed face first onto the ground.

The five remaining bandits watched in horror as a pool of blood slowly dilated from the dead ox.

"I-I cant believe it." said one of the bandits in utter disbelief

"He k-killed the boss." said another, the prisoner fixed his gaze onto the remaining bandits. All but one of them were frightened, the one who wasn't scared glared at the prisoner with rage and murder in his brown eyes. He was also inhaling and exhaling quickly through his gritted teeth and his chest heaved.

This bandit was a wolf with dark grey fur, he had thin, lankey build and a lean figure. He wore a black, tattered tunic and tattered black pants. In his left paw he held a rusty axe.

"You!" he hissed

"You killed my best friend!" he exclaimed, the prisoner felt no remorse for the fallen ox.

"You're friend's death was his own fault, he chose this life and now he has paid the price." replied the prisoner with no emotion in his voice whatsoever. A growl echoed within the wolf's throat, he charged at the prisoner, screaming in anger with a compressed jaw.

"Don't be a fool!" said one of the bandits as he extended his right arm and reached for his companion. But his words fell on deaf ears, the wolf was closing in on the prisoner with rage in eyes. Once he was within range he swung his axe horizontally at the prisoner but the white tiger ducked down causing the axe blade to glide past his head.

The prisoner stood up straight and twisted his body around before he planted a powerful kick to the wolf's chest. The wolf bandit grunted in pain and the sheer strength of the kick knocked to wolf onto his back. The wolf dropped his axe causing to clatter onto and he placed his paws over his chest and he winced in pain.

The prisoner spun the katana in his paw, the blade left a faint silver trail. The wolf fought the pain in his chest, grabbed his axe with his left paw and he struggled to his feet.

The wolf barked at the white tiger but the prisoner didn't even flinch, the wolf sprinted towards the white tiger one last time with his axe ready. Once he was within range he raised his axe high above his head and brought it down on the prisoner. Blood splattered onto the ground, the 4 remaining bandits froze in fear.

The prisoner was now standing right behind the wolf bandit with the hilt of his katana resting atop his right shoulder. The wolf stood with his arm extended in front of him and lowered to waist level. His grip on the pole of the axe loosened until the weapon slid out of his paw and clattered onto the ground. A large, bloody, diagonal gash stretched across body, from his left shoulder to just above the right of his waist.

The wolf coughed up blood before he slumped forward, dead. A pool of blood dilated from his wound and it stained the ground. The remaining bandits all quaked and whimpered in fear.

"Who-who are you?" asked one of the bandits in a horrified tone. The prisoner fixed his gaze on the remaining bandits and glared at them, those blue eyes filled them with fear.

"I am a defender of the innocent, but I am also a demon, I am one who is feared throughout the land by those who are evil. Some say I am even feared by death itself, My name Wei Zhao, I am the Demon Swordsman." said Wei, the bandits whimpered in fear before all four of them turned around and ran away as fast as they could, they disappeared in the darkness of the streets and the sounds of their fear-filled cries echoed past Wei's ears.

Wei glided the bloodstained blade of his katana back into its scabbard, and with a clang the katana was sheathed. Wei then turned his gaze towards the pig family.

"Are you alright?" asked Wei, the male nodded.

"We're fine, thank you so much. You're a hero." replied the pig gratefully, Wei closed his eyes and shook his head, he then opened his eyes and returned his gaze to the pigs and said "No, I'm not a hero. A hero is someone who sacrifices himself for the good of others, I'm just someone who was doing the right thing."

Wei then turned his back on the pig family, the white tiger then wondered down the street. The pig family watched as this 'Demon Swordsman' disappeared within the darkness of the village streets.


	4. Chapter 4: Encounter

**Chapter 4: Encounter**

The sun slowly ascended over the horizon, illuminating the now colourful sky. The sky was now a beautiful mix of yellow, orange and greyish blue. Slowly the colours brightened until the sky was now sapphire blue. The sun's warm rays enveloped the entire valley, the villagers were woken from their slumbers and in mere hours the village was stirring.

The light from the sun gleamed off of the Jade Palace making its exterior appear much more impressive. Inside the student barracks the Furious Five were already awake, waiting for the sound of the morning gong so that they could greet their master. Po however was lying in his bed, on his left side, still fast asleep. The sound of the giant panda's snoring echoed in his room.

A single ray of light shone through his window and into the his eyes. A groan echoed in Po's throat as he forced his right eye open while keeping his left eye shut tight. Due to the brightness of the sun's light Po narrowed his open eye and placed his right forearm against his eyes to block out the light.

The Dragon Warrior rolled onto his right side, he then kicked off his blanket and sat up from his bed. He brought his paws up to face and rubbed his eyes, he lowered his paws away from his eyes and blinked a few times before his eyes adjusted. The sound of the morning gong rang in Po's ears, he heard then five doors being slid open and five voices saying "Good morning Master." in unison.

Po stood up from his bed and groggily approached the door, he slid it open and stepped out of his room and into the hallway. Po's gaze shifted to his right and he saw Shifu standing at the end of the hallway and the Five standing outside of their rooms.

They all stared at Po with surprised expressions etched on their faces. Po cocked an eyebrow in confusion.

"What?" he asked, there was a brief moment of silence but it was soon broken by Shifu.

"Nothing, it's just that, you're up on time." replied Shifu.

"Well, you can thank the sun for that." said Po as pointed his left thumb over his left shoulder and moved it back and forth. Po lowered his arm and Shifu cleared his throat.

"Listen everybody, you will resume with your daily, morning training but in the afternoon I want you all to go down into the village and ask around. See if any of the villagers have spotted the escapee." said Shifu.

"Yes Master Shifu." They all replied in unison. With that Shifu turned around and began making his way out of the Student Barracks while his students made their towards the Dining Hall. Po was behind the group, his gaze was fixed on Tigress who was at the front of the group.

There was something about her that made his heart thump against his ribcage and his cheeks burn up. Was it her elegant body? Her beautiful amber eyes that were filled pride? or her personality? Sure she acted cold and emotionless on the outside, but on the inside she was brave, kind, caring and fearless. Po wasn't quite sure what he was feeling or why he was feeling this way, but for some reason... he liked it.

Meanwhile down in village, Wei was fast asleep with his body leaning against the wall of a house in an alleyway. His sheathed katana was resting against the wall on his left.

His eyes fluttered open and his gaze shifted around the silent, empty alley. He rose to his feet and let out a groan and he stretched out his arms, he then let his body completely relax and his arms flopped down to his sides.

He then twisted his body to his left and gazed at the katana, he turned around fully before he grabbed the sheathed blade and lifted off the ground. He strapped the katana to the left of his waist and then he turned around once more, and stepped out of the alley and into the street.

The street was alive with villagers, children were playing, families were wondering around hand-in-hand. The village looked so... peaceful, Wei guessed this was why it was called 'The Valley of Peace'. The sight of all these happy people almost made Wei smile, but he couldn't stay here long. He knew the Anvil of Heaven must be right on his tail.

He turned to his left and wondered down the street, as he did so he noticed that a few villagers were staring at him. Didn't really surprise him, it's not everyday you see a white tiger with a katana and wearing rags walking through your village. But Wei didn't care so he continued walking through the village.

Hours later at the Training Hall of the Jade Palace, Po and the Furious Five had just finished their morning training and had just exited the Training Hall. They were climbing the thousand steps of the Jade Mountain. Po who was once again behind the group had his eyes glued on Tigress, no matter hard he tried he couldn't pry his gaze away from her.

They reached the bottom of the mountain before Po even knew it, Tigress turned around facing the group, her expression was very stern.

"Alright, we'll split up into 3 teams. Monkey, you and Mantis will search the east side of the village. Viper and Crane, you two will search the west and south sides of the village while Po and I will stay here on the north side and search the area." Po's heart rate increased, it felt like it was going to burst out of his chest. Him and Tigress alone, together. This made Po feel nervous, he looked down at his paws and saw that his palms were sweaty.

"Po are you alright?" asked a soft, angelic familiar voice. Po lifted his gaze and saw Tigress and the other four staring at him.

"W-What?" asked Po.

"I said are you alright?" Tigress repeated.

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine."

"Alright then, let's go." With that, Mantis, Monkey, Crane and Viper all departed, leaving Po and Tigress alone.

"Come on Po." Ordered Tigress as she turned around and began walking down the street, Po soon followed.

Po and Tigress searched the area for hours and they asked random villagers if they had seen the prisoner. So far none of them had seen somebody of that description, Monkey and Mantis soon returned to them.

"Have you guys found anything?" asked Tigress, Monkey closed his eyes and shook his head, he then opened them and returned his gaze to Tigress.

"No, nothing."

"How do we know this guy is even here? Maybe the Anvil of Heaven already got him." said Mantis.

"Unlikely, this guy isn't just your average criminal, he single-handedly escaped Chor-Gom Prison. Only someone who is skilled in Kung Fu can do that, the Anvil of Heaven wouldn't come to us if they could handle it by themselves. Plus he's most likely going to pass through here." replied Tigress.

Po stared at Tigress in awe.

_"Wow, she thought of all that? She is AWESOME!" _Po thought, just then something caught his gaze.

He look up at the sky and saw something flying towards them, he narrowed his eyes and saw that it was Crane and he was holding Viper in his talons. Tigress, Monkey and Mantis spotted them as well, Crane slowly descended towards them. Once he was two feet above the ground, Viper slid out of his grip and dropped to the ground. Crane then landed right next to her.

"So, have you found anything?" asked Tigress. Crane and Viper both nodded in confirmation.

"Yeah, a white tiger was spotted in the south side of the village." Explained Viper.

"Alright, let's get this guy." Said Po.

The Dragon Warrior and the Furious Five dashed through the village, they didn't dare stop, even with all eyes on them. Once they reached the south side of the village their gazes shifted around the area.

There was no sight of a white tiger with three scars. Tigress spotted something in the corner of her vision, her gaze shifted to her left and she saw someone staring at them in a nearby alleyway. As soon as Tigress' eyes met his the silhouette retreated into the alleyway.

Tigress quickly extended her left arm and pointed her index finger at the alley.

"There!" she exclaimed.

Tigress then sprinted after the silhouette, the others not far behind her. They ran through the alleyway until they reached the end and stepped into another street, their gazes shifted in all directions.

Crane's gazed up at the roof of a large house ten feet in front of them. Standing atop the roof was a white tiger with three vertical scars on his left eye and a black, silk scarf wrapped around his neck. A sudden gust of wind caused the scarf to dance, gracefully to his left.

Wei narrowed his eyes into a glare at the six warriors persuing him. Crane extended his wings, thus gaining the attention of his friends. With one mighty flap he shot up into the air, he hovered into the air with his wings flapping. Wei gave the avian a death glare and a growl echoed in his throat, he quickly twisted around with his back facing Crane and he sprinted across the roof.

Crane flew after him, once Wei reached the edge of the roof he didn't hesitate to dive off of it. Crane was taken by surprise at that action, luckily Wei landed safely on the roof of another house. Once he landed on that roof he rolled forward and quickly got to his feet.

Wei didn't stop to look back, he dashed across the roof with Crane right on his tail. Wei dived off of the roof of that house too, his legs bent once he landed on the ground below.

He stood up straight and turned slightly to his left and stared up at the flying avian, Crane spotted the white tiger and swooped down at him. Wei gripped the handle of his katana firmly with his right paw and quickly yanked it out of the scabbard.

He extended his right arm out to his right and waited for Crane to get close. Once Crane was twelve feet in front of him a smirk stretched across Wei's face. He swung his right arm and let go of his katana, the weapon spun at a rapid pace. As it spun the blade seemed to leave a faint, silver trail giving it the appearance of a silver disc with a black centre.

Crane's eyes widened and his mouth gaped in horror, the spinning sword was now aiming for his neck. Crane quickly leaned back causing him to flip in mid-air, the spinning katana barely missed him.

The katana continued spinning through the air amidst the sound of cutting wind. The spinning sliced a chimney in half and the katanna landed atop the roof of the house the chimney was attached to.

The katana slowly slid over the edge of the roof and fell towards the ground, the blade lodged itself in the ground with the handle pointing towards the sky. The top half of the chimney slowly began to slide off of the other half.

Po, Tigress, Monkey, Mantis and Viper then stepped out from the corner of a house and saw the sliced chimney. They all saw movement at the bottom of their visions and they all glanced down and gasped in horror.

A small bunny child was playing in front of the house with the sliced chimney. They all instantly knew it was going to fall and crush him, Po and the other four dashed towards the child as fast as they all could.

Wei knew they wouldn't save the child on time, so he leant down on all fours and charged at the child. The chimney fell and it was going to land on the bunny, time seemed to slow time as Wei closed in on him.

Wei ran as fast as he could, once he got close he lunged at the child and pushed him out of the way of the falling chimney. The child was pushed two feet away and he landed on his posterior, the chimney then landed on Wei's back and once he hit the ground the chimney cracked in half and Wei lost consciousness. The white tiger was pinned onto the ground, he was surrounded by debris and a dilating cloud of dust.

Po and the Furious Five stared at the unconscious tiger with widened eyes and open mouths. A crowd of people encircled Wei and stared at him, the mother of the bunny child pushed her way through the crowd and her eyes shifted in all directions looking for her child.

The sight of her quaking son caught her gaze and she quickly ran over to him, she dropped to her knees and pulled her son into a tight embrace. Po and the Furious Five emerged from the crowd and stared at Wei.

"Well, that was... unexpected." Said Mantis surprised.

"Let's get him out here." Ordered Tigress, Po stepped closer towards Wei and began pulling the chimney debris off of his limp, unconscious body. He then picked Wei up and slung him over his right shoulder. The six warriors then began making their way back towards the Jade Palace to place him in the dungeon. On the way their Po was lost in his thoughts. In all his years of being a Kung Fu Master he had never seen the bad guy risk his life to save the innocent. It made him wonder, is this white tiger a villain? Or is there more to him then what he's heard?


	5. Chapter 5: Dreams

**Chapter 5: Dreams **

_The 8 year old Wei sat on the porch of a small wooden house, his electric blue eyes stared out into the small village in front of him as a soft breeze blew through his black and white fur. The Village was rich with grass and trees. Children were running around, playing with their friends. The sun's golden rays gleamed onto the small village, creating the perfect sight. _

_Wei slowly closed his eyes and inhaled nasally, his chest expanded as the air filled his lungs. He then exhaled through his mouth and his opened his eyes. The sound of light footsteps on the wooden porch rang past Wei's ear. He turned his gaze to his right and saw another white tiger standing right next to him. The white tiger was 12 years of age, he was taller than Wei by a few feet and he wore royal blue robes with yellow trimmings and a golden sash wrapped around his waist. The white tiger cub's electric blue eyes stared down at Wei and a smile was stretched across his face. _

_"Hey lil' bro." Said the white tiger cub. _

_"Hey Feng." Replied Wei. _

_Feng sat down next to his brother and turned his gaze forward and stared at the village. Neither of the cubs said a word, after a few moments Feng's lips parted and he broke the silence. _

_"Beautiful isn't it?" Asked Feng. Wei returned his gaze to his brother and cocked an eyebrow. _

_"What is?" Replied Wei. _

_"The village." Said Feng as he extended his right arm and gestured his paw around the village. _

_"Oh," Wei turned his gaze forward and fixed his eyes on the village "Yeah, I guess it is." _

_"You know, when I grew up I wanna be a warrior like Dad." Said Feng. Wei shifted his gaze at Feng once again and a smile strecthed across his face. _

_"Yeah, me too." Feng closed his eyes and dipped his chin before he let out a small chuckle. Wei lowered his eyebrows and stared at Feng. _

_"What?" Asked Wei sounding irritated. Feng opened his eyes and stared into his younger brother's eyes. _

_"You? A warrior? You cry like a little girl when you skin your knees." Mocked Feng. Wei's expression turned to anger and he gritted his teeth. He rose to his feet and turned his body facing Feng, glaring at him. _

_"I'll show you! I'll be the greatest warrior ever!" exclaimed Wei. A chuckle escaped Feng's lips and then he too stood up with a straight posture, he was now towering over his little brother. _

_"Even if you do, remember this. Now matter how strong you become you'll always be my baby brother." He said, emphasizing the word 'baby' which caused a growl to echo in Wei's throat. Feng burst into laughter and wrapped his arms around his stomach, Wei cocked an eyebrow as his brother laughed hysterically. _

_"What's so funny?" Asked Wei. Feng's laughter died down and he unwrapped his arms from his stomach before he dragged his left index finger across his left eyes, wiping away a tear._

_"You." Replied Feng lowering his arm. _

_"You always know how to tickle my funny bone Wei." Feng then turned his body to his left, facing the door of their house. Feng approached the door and opened it, he then stepped inside and closed the door behind him, leaving Wei alone with a confused expression upon his face. _

_The scene changed into a blinding white light that faded as quickly as it came. The scene was once again on that day when Wei's village was attacked. Buildings were aflame, the village was cloaked in a smokey veil, blood was splattered all over the ground and the sounds of people crying in agony and fear echoed through the village. _

_"HELP ME!" Cried a voice. Wei's head snapped into the direction of the voice, his eyes snapped wider and his mouth hung open. A bandit had his paw firmly gripped on Feng's right arm and was dragging him away. _

_Wei and Feng's father stepped forward, his armour and fur were coated in blood. He held his katana tightly in his right paw. A pair of paws were then placed on Wei's chest and he was pulled back into something soft, yet hard. _

_He gazed up and saw his mother, tears were streaming down her face and soot coated her white fur. Wei's father snapped his head in the direction of his wife and son with a stern expression on his face. _

_"Take Wei and run away as fast as you can." He ordered. _

_"No, were not leaving you!" Argued his wife. _

_"Don't worry about me, I'll save Feng and he and me will find you." Fresh tears streamed down Wei's mother's face, she sniffled and her lips parted._

_"I love you." She said, her husband's expression softened and he nodded. _

_"I love you too. Now go!" Wei's mother grabbed her son's wrist firmly with her right paw and she dashed away from the village and into the forest with her son in hand. Wei's father returned his gaze to the group of bandits that had his son, he gritting his teeth and let out a growl as he sprinted towards the bandits with his weapon readied. _

_There was a chase, a scream, a pair of crimson red eyes, a searing pain and three losses. His brother, his mother and his father, all dead. _

* * *

Wei's eyes snapped open. Sweat streamed down his face as he hyperventilated. He eventually calmed down and his breathing returned to its normal pace. His gaze then shifted around as he observed his surroundings, he was in a small, dark dungeon. There were several torches mounted on the walls, the dim glow of the flickering flames lit up the room.

Wei felt something cold and hard wrapped around his wrists, he gaze up and saw that his arms were restraint by two, rusty shackles.

"I see you're awake." Said a stern voice. Wei's eyes shifted around the room to see who it was that spoke. He spotted a small, silhoutte standing in the darkness.

The silhouette stepped forward into the light revealing him to be an elderly red panda. Shifu gave Wei an icey glare and there was a few moments of silence. The red panda parted his lips and broke the silence.

"So you're the infamous killer who murdered the nobleman Lord Chu." Said Shifu. Wei didn't reply, he merely narrowed his eyes into a glare.

"What is your name?" Asked Shifu. Still no avail.

"Well, it doesn't matter. You'll be sent back to Chor-Gom Prison in a few days so that you can pay for your crime." Said Shifu sternly. Wei remained silent. Shifu then turned around and walked away from the restrained tiger and exited the dungeon.

Meanwhile outside of the dungeon, the full moon hung in the sky, giving off a dim glow and the night sky was filled with stars. The students were all sleeping peacefully in their rooms inside the Student Barracks.

But neither of them were more peaceful in their slumber than a certain Master of Tiger Style. Tigress laid in her bed on her left side, her amber eyes were shut tight and a small smile formed on her muzzle.

* * *

_Tigress stood in the middle of a seemingly endless field. A soft breeze blew past her, the grass at her feet seemed to dance gracefully in the wind. Her gaze shifted in all directions, she wondered where she was. _

_"Where am I?" She asked hoping to hear an answer. But she heard nothing expect for the sound of the wind blowing past her ears. _

_"Tigress." Whispered a familiar voice. Tigress' body snapped to her right, standing seventeen feet away from her was a large pond, the water was sapphire blue and so clear that it was reflecting the image of the sky above. It was almost like looking at a mirror. _

_Tigress slowly approached the pond, she felt some kind of power, luring her there. Once she she was nine feet away from it, she could've sworn she saw something moving in the water. _

_Tigress stopped dead in her tracks and narrowed her eyes, she saw something in the water coming towards her. Tigress assumed a fighting stance and readied herself, two black ears petruded from the water along with a white head and a pair of jade green eyes. As the figure slowly ascended out of the pond Tigress's eyes widened and she returned to her normal, straight posture. _

_"Po?" She asked. Po stood nine feet away from her. His fur was dripping wet and disordered. His burlap shorts were drenched but he didn't seem to care. He stared at Tigress with a warm smile upon his face. _

_"Po? What's going on?" She asked. Po didn't reply, he slowly walked over to the feline. As he got closer Tigress stared at his wet body, despite the fact that Po was fat Tigress found his body... attractive. With every step he took closer to her, Tigress's heart rate increased and her cheeks felt warm. _

_Po stood right in front of her, looking into her eyes with a dreamy smile. Tigress' heart felt like it was going to burst out of her chest and she felt like she had been set on fire. _

_"P-Po, where are we? What's going-" She was cut off by Po who had placed his right index finger on her lips, shutting her up. _

_"Shh." He said, he then took his finger away from her lips and cupped her chin with his index finger and thumb. _

_"All that matters, is you and me." He said. Po closed his eyes and leaned in closer, Tigress knew what he was going to do and for some reason she didn't want to fight it. _

_"Tigress..." He whispered. Tigress slowly closed her eyes and leaned in closer. _

_"Tigress..." Po said again, but louder this time. Tigress opened her eyes and cocked an eyebrow. Po then placed his left paw on her right shoulder and began shaking her. _

_"Tigress!" Exclaimed Po _

* * *

Tigress' eyes snapped open, she let out a groan as she sat up from her bed. She rubbed her fists into her eyes and lowered her arms. She blinked a few times until her eyes adjusted. She turned her gaze to her right and saw Po standing at her bedside, Shifu and rest of the Five were standing in the doorway.

"W-What?" She asked.

"You slept through the morning gong. Plus you're sweaty, are you feeling alright?" Asked Po, obviously concerned.

Tigress looked down at her paws and saw that they were sweaty. She then returned her gaze to Po and stared into his eyes, his beautiful jade green eyes.

"I'm fine Po." She muttured.

"Alright then, come on get up." Said Po. The Dragon Warrior then turned around and began walking out of her room. Tigress yanked the blanket off of her lower body. She swung her legs over the edge of the bed and stood up from her bed.

_"Why was I dreaming about Po? I don't even like him... Do I?" _


	6. Chapter 6: The Truth

**Chapter 6: The Truth **

3 days had past since Po and the Furious Five had captured Wei Zhao, the infamous swordsman responsible for the death of Lord Chu. Despite their best efforts to get information out of him, Wei remained silent. Tomorrow is that day when the Anvil of Heaven are expected to arrive and take Wei back to Chor-Gom Prison where he'll be executed for his crime.

Wei sat in the Jade Palace's dark, silent dungeon. His paws were restraint by cold, rusty shackles; the dark room was lit by the dim glows of the flaming torches mounted on the wall.

Despite the flickering flames of the torches, the dungeon air was freezing causing goosebumps to form on his skin beneath his fur. The sound of his stomach's growl echoed in the dungeon, Wei hadn't eaten since he was in Chor-Gom Prison and his stomach felt hollow. His arms were strained due to the fact that they have been held up by the shackles for 72 long hours.

Wei's ears perked up when the sound of the dungeon door creaking open rang past them. Wei shifted his gaze in the direction of the noise. Amidst the darkness stood a giant panda holding a bowl of noodle soup with a pair of chopsticks sticking out of them and a cup of herbal tea.

Wei narrowed his electric blue eyes at the panda and noticed a warm smile on his muzzle. Wei cocked an eyebrow in confusion, Po approached Wei and knelt down in front of him before he gently set the bowl and cup down.

Wei glanced down at the food and drink and returned his gaze to Po. Po looked into Wei's eyes and his smile widened.

"I thought you might be hungry." Said Po. Wei remained silent again and Po's smile faded.

"You don't say much do you?" Asked Po. Once again Wei didn't reply. Po lowered his gaze to the bowl of noodle soup, he gripped the chopsticks with his right paw and used them to grip on to some noodles.

He raised the chopsticks; a single stand of noodle dangling from the chopsticks. He moved his arm forward, the chopsticks moving closer to the white tiger's mouth. Wei lowered his eyebrows and leaned his head back. His lips parted and he spoke up.

"What're doing?" Asked Wei. Po raised both eyebrows in surprise.

"So you can talk." Replied Po.

"Of course I can talk you idiot. I repeat, what're you doing?"

"I'm feeding you."

"Why?"

"Well, I can't let you out of your restraints because you'll try to escape." Wei closed his eyes and shook his head. He opened his eyes and returned his gaze to the panda.

"If I wanted to escape I would've done it by now." Po cocked an eyebrow and set the chopsticks back into the bowl.

"What do you mean?" Asked Po, obviously confused.

"I single-handedly escaped Chor-Gom Prison without effort, do you think escaping from a small dungeon with minimal security would be a challenge?" Po's eyes widened and he stared at Wei, dumbfounded.

"I... Uh... W-well, If you could escape from this place then why haven't you?" Asked Po. The panda's lips thinned into a cocky smirk.

"What would be the point? I'd just be on the run again, running from town to town until the exhaustion of it all finally takes its toll on me. I wouldn't matter wether I escaped or not, I'd end up back in Chor-Gom either way." Po raised his left arm and used his index finger and his thumb to cup his chin.

"Yeah, I guess so. But how do I know you won't try to kill me like you like you did Lord Chu?" Asked Po suspiciously.

"How could I possibly do that? I'm exhausted, I haven't eaten in days, I haven't got my katanna plus I don't think I could hold my own against you Po." Said Wei. Po cocked an eyebrow in confusion.

"How did you know my name?" Asked Po.

"Everybody knows who you are Dragon Warrior. And you're only the panda in this village." Po turned his gaze away from Wei.

"Ah." He said. Po then returned his gaze to the white tiger. Neither of the two said another word, there were a few moments silence. All that was heard was the crackling of the flaming torches. Po stared at Wei for a moment, wondering if he should remove his shackles. It was just so he could eat his food, Plus Po had single-handedly defeated both Tai Lung and Lord Shen, two of China's greatest villains. So how hard would it be to defeat this guy?

Po reached his left hand into the left pocket of his shorts and pulled out a small, silver key. He inserted the key into the keyhole of the shackle that restrained Wei's right wrist and twisted in clockwise. The shackle released its grip on Wei's wrist causing his arm to flop to his side, Po inserted the key into the keyhole of the other shackle and twisted it clockwise again. The shackle released Wei's other wrist causing his left arm to also flop to his side.

Po slipped the key back into his left pocket and stood up straight. He readied himself, in case Wei decided to make a move. Instead, Wei reached for the bowl of noodle with his right paw and picked it up.

He grabbed the chopsticks with his left paw and used the chopsticks to pick up some noodles. He opened his mouth and inserted the noodles into his mouth. Once those noodles touched his tounge his eyes widened in surprise. This was best food he had ever eaten. He quickly devoured the content of the bowl while Po watched with a smile upon his face.

Once Wei had finished eating he gently placed the bowl back down onto the floor. He then grabbed the cup of tea with his right paw, brought it up to his lips and took a sip. He released a sigh as he felt the warm drink slide down his throat, he continued drinking the tea until the cup was empty.

He gently placed the cup on the floor and raised both arms. Po re-attached the shackles around Wei's wrists and they locked instantly. Po bent down and picked up the bowl with his left paw and the cup with his right. He stood up straight and turned his back on the white tiger, Po began walking over to the dungeon door but then Wei spoke up.

"Wei Zhao." He said. Po turned around and fixed his gaze onto the tiger.

"Huh?" He asked.

"My name, it's Wei. Wei Zhao."

"Well Wei, my name is Po. Po Ping." Po then remembered that Wei already knew his name, but he figured it was good to have a proper introduction. But then Po mentally slapped himself, this was the swordsman responsible for the death of Lord Chu, but he seemed like a nice guy. He didn't try to attack Po when he released his shackles, he didn't try to escape and he saved that kid from being crushed by a chimney.

Po was confused, why would a villain risk his life to save a child? why would he not try to escape? Po returned his gaze, his lips parted as he asked Wei a question.

"Did you really kill Lord Chu?" Asked Po. Wei's ears perked up once he heard that question and he looked into Po's jade green eyes.

"What?" Asked Wei.

"Did you really kill Lord Chu?" Po repeated. Wei didn't reply, there were few moments of silence. Wei could see the determination in Po's eyes, he wanted the truth. Wei closed his eyes and nodded his head. He opened his eyes again and looked back into Po's eyes.

"Yes, I killed him." Wei confirmed.

"But why? You don't seem like a villian, you rescued that child from being crushed by a chimney and you didn't try escape when I unlocked your shackles. So why did you do it? why did you kill the nobleman Lord Chu?" Wei lowered his gaze and gritted his teeth. His face crumpled in anger.

"Nobleman? more like a tyrant, the was nothing noble about that monster." Wei hissed. Po cocked an eyebrow and stared at Wei for a moment.

_"Tyrant? what does he mean?" _

"What're you talking about?" Asked Po. Wei returned his gaze to Po, his expression unchanged.

"Chu wasn't the kind-heart, selfless saint you all thought he was. He was cold, selfish, spoilt, power-hungry and pure evil. He abused his power to get what he wanted, he didn't care who he hurt." Po's eyes widened in shock, he couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"When I arrived at the Emerald City I was just a traveling swordsman, looking for someone."

"Who?"

"None of your buisness." Replied Wei coldly.

"I decided to stay there a few days but I didn't have enough money to stay at the local inns. Luckily a nice farmer and his family took me in, saying I could stay for as long as I needed to. A few days after I arrived Lord Chu showed up with his bodyguards, demanding payment. The farmer refused, saying that he had paid that month's rent, Lord Chu didn't like that, not one bit. So, he ordered some of his guards to hold his wife and son hostage. Chu demanded the payment but the farmer claimed he didn't have the money and begged for his family's release. Lord Chu then ordered his guards to kill his wife and son, I stepped in and killed the guards. Then, I put an end to Lord Chu's tyranny. I drove my katana through his black heart and I watched him die." Po shuddered at that image, but he was still confused about what Wei was telling him. Wei continued with his story.

"Right after that the guards came and surrounded me, accussing me of murder. I was sent to Chor-Gom Prison where I was sentenced to death. So I escaped the day of my execution." Explained Wei. Po remained silent, his eyes wide and mouth hung open. Wei could tell he was beyond shocked, he couldn't blame him. This was a lot to take in.

Without another word, Po turned around and exited the dungeon. Leaving Wei alone in the cold, dimly lit dungeon.


	7. Chapter 7: Guidance

**Chapter 7: Guidance**

Po lied in his bed on his back, his jade green eyes fixated on the ceiling. A lit candle sat on the small cabinet on the right side of his bed. His chest heaved as he inhaled and exhaled nasally, Wei's story of what happened the day of Lord Chu's demise played itself in his mind, over and over again.

He wasn't sure what to believe, Wei could have been lying to gain Po's trust, but part of him believes that Wei was telling the truth. A sigh escape Po's lips as he sat up from his bed. He yanked the blanket off of his lower body and swung his legs over the edge of the bed, Po stood up from his bed and approached his bedroom door.

He slid the door open and stepped into the hallway, the sound of Master Monkey's snoring filled the silence. Po quietly walked down the hallway taking short, slow, silent footsteps. Trying not to wake any of the Furious Five up.

Po quietly exited the Student Barracks, lifting his head Po gazed up at the night sky, the full moon emitted a dim glow and was encircled by a multitude of stars. A cool, gently breeze blew against his person, caressing his black and white fur.

Po lowered his gaze and caught site of a peach tree standing proudly on a small hill. The branches of the peach tree were coated in pink petals. That tree was the Sacred Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom, Po saundered over to peach tree. His eyes remained fixated on the glorious tree.

Po arrived at the peach tree before he even realised it. Po lowered his head and he gazed down at the ground in front of his feet, a small sapling pretruding from the soil.

Po raised his head and gazed forward, he slowly approached the edge of the hill and sat down on his posterior, his legs dangling over the edge.

Po stared out into the horizon, a cold breeze blew against him, goosebumps formed on the skin beneath his fur. Unbeknownst to the Dragon Warrior a large group of petals began to slowly and gracefully spin around into a small twister of petals.

The petals spun behind the panda until the image of a tortoise faded into existence. The tortoise was severly aged and he wore a green sash that nearly covered his shell, upon the back of the sash was a diagram of fish forming the ying yang symbol.

The tortoise stared at the panda who was unaware of his presence, the tortoise's lips curled into a smile and he said _"Good evening Dragon Warrior, it's been a long time." _

Po's ears perked up once he heard that voice, he quickly got to his feet and twisted his body around facing the tortoise. Po's eyes snapped wider and his mouth was agape, he rubbed his fists into his eyes to make sure he wasn't seeing things. He lowered his paws away from his eyes to see that the tortoise was still there with an amused smile stretched across his aged face.

"M-Master Oogway?" Po stuttered. Oogway closed his eyes and nodded his head in confirmation, he opened his eyes again and returned his gaze to the panda.

Po was at a loss for words, Oogway was supposed to be deceased. But he was standing before him.

"H-How? You're dead." Said Po in disbelief.

_"That is true, my mortal body has passed, but my spirit remains here, watching over the Jade Palace. Giving my guidance to those who need it." _Oogway's words fell on deaf ears, Po stared at Oogway in shock, his eyes were widened and his mouth still hung open.

_"I sense you are in need of guidance yourself Po." _Said Oogway. Those words snapped Po back to reality, his mouth closed and his eyelids lowered to their original position.

"Uhh, yeah. I'm really confused right now." Said Po. Oogway cupped his chin with his index claw and thumb.

_"Hmm, you don't know wether to believe Wei's story or not." _Said Oogway. Po's eyes snapped wider and he stared at Oogway in surprise.

"How did you-" Before he could finish his question he was cut off by Oogway.

_"I have been watching over you Po." _

"Oh." Said Po as he lowered his gaze to the ground.

"So, is he telling the truth?" Asked Po as he returned his gaze to Oogway.

_"If you wish to find the answer Dragon Warrior, then you must go to the Emerald City to learn the truth." _Said Oogway.

A multitude of petals began to gracefully spin around Oogway's person. Oogway's image slowly faded away into the tornado of petals that surrounded him. The petals then dispersed and gracefully floated around the peach tree.

Po lowered his head and gazed at the ground before him. Oogway's words echoed within his mind, if he wanted answers he had to go to the Emerald City. Po now knew what he had to do, he lifted his head and gazed forward. Without a second thought he began his journey to the Emerald City, and the truth.

The Next morning the sun slowly rose over the horizon, it bathed the Valley of Peace with its warm rays. Wei sat in the Jade Palace's dark, dungeon. His arms were still be hoisted up and restraint by the cold, rusty shackles.

Wei was in a deep slumber, but the sound of the dungeon door creaking open rang in his ears, thus waking him up. Wei's eyes fluttered open and glanced in the direction of the dungeon door. Master Shifu stood in the doorway, his posture straight, his expression stern and his right paw firmly grasped onto his staff.

Standing next to Shifu was a rhino, he wore studded green body armor, red metal plates on his waist, a studded belt, and studded protective bands on his shoulders and wrists. The rhino stood with a straight posture like Shifu, his arms were crossed over his chest and his lips were curled into a triumphant smile.

"Hello, prisoner." Said the rhino.


	8. Chapter 8: The Emerald City

**Chapter 8: The Emerald City**

Under the sapphire blue sky Po sprinted headlong across the seemingly endless cobblestone path. The heat radiating off of the blazing morning sun combined with the several hours of running caused sweat droplets to form on his brow and streak down his face.

Po's chest heaved as he panted with every step he took. His green eyes were fixated on the small hill ahead of him. A gust of wind blew against his person, the cold breeze cooled his face as his fur was being blown around, exposing the skin beneath.

Once Po stood atop the small hill he found himself looking over a large city. It was larger than the Valley of Peace but smaller than Gongmen City. High, strong, emerald walls surrounded the city forming a square with guard towers standing 50 feet tall at each corner.

Po's eyes widened as he stared at the grand city in awe. He could've stood there and stared at the site all day, but he had a mission to do. And with that he strode down the cobblestone path down the hill.

* * *

Meanwhile back at the Valley of Peace, Master Shifu stood at the bottom of the Thousands Steps of the Jade Mountain, his right paw firmly grasped onto the staff that once belonged to his master. The Furious Five stood in a line behind him, Tigress stood in the middle of the group with a straight posture and her arms wrapped behind her back.

Viper was at Tigress' left, while Crane stood at her right. Monkey stood at one end of the line at Viper's left while Mantis stood at the other end at Crane's right. Everyone gazed up at the stairs, they saw Wei being escorted down the mountain. His arms were restraint behind his back with 8-point acupressure cuffs slapped around his wrists.

2 pole-axe weilding rhinos stood on either side of him while another rhino, also weilding a pole-axe followed behind him. Wei's chin was lowered, his expression was blank as was the look in his electric blue eyes.

A sudden breeze blew against his person, his jet black scarf danced gracefully to his left. Wei and the armed guards finally reached the bottom of the steps, the guard at his left stepped in front of him, his lips thinned into a cocky smirk.

"You've avoided us for awhile, but now you're gonna get your just deserts Wei Zhao." Said the rhino. Wei's eyes widened in surprise and his mouth was agape.

"Oh, how did we know? Well, while we were searching for you we dug up a few things. They call you 'The Demon Swordsman' but you're nothing but a punk." Spat the rhino.

Wei gritted his teeth and wrinkled his nose in anger, a growl echoed in his throat, but the rhinon wasn't intimidated. He then glanced at Wei's scarf, it looked so clean and well looked after like his katanna, but his other wears were a mess and so was he.

His tunic and pants were dusty, torn and stained with dried blood. His fur was dirty, unkempt and dried blood stuck it together. The rhino quickly grabbed the scarf and yanked it from his neck, it took Wei a couple of seconds to realise what had happened. His eyes widened and his mouth hung open, he quickly stepped forward but the guard standing behind him quickly glided his arms over Wei's head and lowered them with the pole of his pole-axe against the white tiger's chest, preventing him from getting closer.

The rhino's smirk stretched wider, he then flung the scarf down into the ground at his feet and stompted on it with his right foot. Wei gritted his teeth and his face wrinkled in rage, he then leaned his head forward and rammed the back of his head into the face of the guard behind him.

The guard's right hand released its firm grip from the pole-axe but his left hand still held it tightly. The guard staggered backwards and placed his right hand over his face, Wei jumped and tucked his knees against his chest, swinging his arms under his feet in mid-air.

Wei planted his feet firmly on the ground, his arms were now in front of him. He glared at the rhino before him, his eyes burned with hatred and rage. The rhino's eyes widened and his mouth was agape.

The rhino raised his arms to chest level defensively as his left foot stepped behind his right foot. Wei brought his arms to the right of his body and whacked the rhino horizontally across the face with his bulky shackles causing him to drop his pole-axe which clattered onto the ground.

The rhino fell onto the right of his body, he cupped his hands over his face and screamed out in pain. The 3rd rhino guard who still stood at Wei's right drove the bottom of his pole-axe's pole into the white tiger's stomach.

Wei grunted in pain, his eyes shut tight and his face wrinkled, his body lurched forward as he collasped onto his knees. The two rhino guards pulled themselves to their feet, the one who stood before Wei glared down at him. Blood streaked down his face and dripped from his chin, he inhaled and exhaled heavily through his clenched teeth as his chest heaved up and down.

He bent down and lowered his left shoulder as he reached for his weapon, he gripped the pole of his weapon firmly and he slowly stood up straight. He grasped his right hand firmly onto the pole-axe and raised the weapon above his head.

He then brought it down on the white tiger, Wei closed his eyes and braced himself for death, but suddenly there was a clang and the attack never came. Wei slowly opened his left eye and saw that something long and wooden was blocking the rhino's pole-axe. It had a golden brace wrapped around it so the axe blade couldn't cut through it.

Wei opened his right eye and his gaze followed along the staff until he saw its weilder. Master Shifu stood at Wei's right, he grimaced as he stared into the rhino's beady, brown eyes with an icy glare.

The rhino raised his pole-axe away from Shifu's staff and they both planted the bottom of the weapons onto the ground.

"You will not execute him here, there are innocent civilians watching." Scolded Shifu.

The rhino's gaze drifted around the area, the villagers were staring at them with confused, frightened looks. The rhino lowered his gaze to the ground and let out a sigh.

"Very well." He said coldy.

Viper glanced down at Wei's scarf before slithering over to it, she picked up the scarf which was now dangling off the tip of her tip. She then slithered over to Wei and gave him a warm smile before wrapping the scarf around his neck. Wei looked into the snake's eyes and nodded his head thankfully before saying "Thank you."

The guard standing behind Wei grabbed him by the back of his tunic and hoisted him to his feet. They then began escorting Wei through the village to Chor-Gom Prison where he will meet his fate.

* * *

Meanwhile back in the Emerald City, Po had just arrived at the city gate. Po lifted his gaze, his eyes widened as his mouth fell open. The gate was emerald green, the doors were the same size as the ones at the Jade Palace and both gate doors had a golden dragon going vertically up them.

Po's gaze lowered as one of the city's guards approached him. He was an antellope with sharp, brown eyes and he wore armour which consisted of a silver chest plate, silver shoulder-guards and silver guantlets. He also wore a pair of purple pants with traditional shaoling leg-wraps wrapped around his ankles. In his left hand he held a long pike.

"Hault! What buisness do you have here?" Demanded the guard. Po brought his right fist up to lips and cleared his throat, he then lowered his arm and looked into the guard's eyes.

"Hey there, um, I'm Po. You know, the Dragon Warrior."

"Oh, forgive me Master. What brings you to the Emerald City?"

"I'm on a mission, you wouldn't happen to have any farms around here would ya?"

"There's only one farm around here, and that would be Mr. Chang's. His farm is at the south wall on the other side of the city." Said the guard.

Po's lips curled into a smile, he then placed his right fist against his left palm and bowed respectively before saying "Thanks."

Po then returned to his regular straight posture, the guard then turned his body around facing his partner and signalled him to open the gates. The other guard nodded his head and walked over to the centre of the gate and pushed the doors open.

Po walked through the open gates, into the Emerald City. His gaze shifted around the stirring city, admiring the buildings and the sight of happy families moving around in every direction.

Po wondered headlong through the grand city, and after several minutes he had finally arrived at the south end of the city. He stood infront an arched, wooden bridge over a long but thin river. Po walked across the bridge, his feet thudded against the wood with every step he took.

Once Po had crossed the bridge he had found himself on land that had been completely untouched by the city on the other side of the bridge. The grass here was greener than regular grass, the trees were ripe with peaches, apples and other mouth-watering fruits.

Po narrowed his eyes and saw a small wooden hut that was encircled by crops that were ready to be harvested. A soft breeze blew past the area, the grass swayed in the wind and the sound of the trees rustling filled the silence.

Po slowly approached the hut. As he got closer, he saw a small piglet sitting on the porch of the hut. The piglet noticed Po once he got closer, he stood up and stared into the Dragon Warrior's eyes.

"Umm, hey there little buddy. Is your dad home?" Po asked politely. the piglet twisted his body slightly to his left and gazed at the closed door behind.

"Dad, there's someone here to see you." He called. Within moments of speaking the sound of shuffling echoed in Po's ears. The hut door creaked open and a pig with beady brown eyes wearing a purple robe with black trimmings and a black sash wrapped around his waist stepped outside.

"May I help you?" Asked the pig.

"Yeah, my name is Po-"

"The Dragon Warrior?!" Mr. Chang cut off. Po nodded his head in confirmation. Mr. Chang bowed respectively.

"To what do I owe this honour?" Asked Mr. Chang as he returned to his normal slouched posture.

"I need to ask you something."

"Anything."

"Do you happen to know anyone by the name of Wei Zhao?" Mr. Chang's eyes widened as he let out a gasp.

"W-Wei?" Mr. Chang stuttered.


	9. Chapter 9: The Execution

**Chapter 9: The Execution **

A fierce blizzard blew past the mountain tops, the wind howled as nine figures wondered through the thick, white veil. The nine trudged through the three foot deep snow, their bodies shook and their teeth quaked as the blistering cold consumed them. Due to her being cold-blooded, Master Viper was the one most effected. Crane held the snake beneath his right wing in hopes of keeping her warm. The nine's journey had lasted for three days and they were getting close to Chor-Gom Prison with every step.

The only ones who uneffected by the cold were the 3 Anvil of Heaven Guards, due to the fact that they are used to working in these conditons, and Tigress who was so lost in her thoughts she didn't even feel the cold.

Her thoughts were of Po, she remembered the morning the Anvil of Heaven came for Wei. The morning gong rang as usual, her and the other four got up early and greeted Master Shifu on time, and of course Po hadn't.

She assumed he was still asleep so she approached his room and slid the door open, only to find an empty room. Her and the others searched the entire palace for Po but he was nowhere to be found, she then went down to village to ask Po's adoptive father Mr. Ping if he had seen him, unfortunately he hadn't.

Tigress was worried about him, she still is. They would've continued their search had the Anvil of Heaven Guards not arrived. Shifu promised her that they would continue their search as soon as they got back, he even told her that Po might be back by the time they return. Tigress was unsure, she felt something was wrong.

Then another thought came to mind, why does she keep thinking about Po? Ever since that dream he's always been on her mind. His goofy smile that lit up even the darkest of moments and his eyes that seemed to sparkle like the stars themselves. Her heart rate increased as did her breathing, she suddenly felt heat caress her cheeks. Tigress placed her left paw over her chest, she could her heart pounding against her rib cage at a rapid pace.

_"What's wrong with me? Why am I feeling this way?" _She thought.

"Tigress are you alright?" Asked a soft yet concerned voice. Tigress' red eyes blinked a few times as she returned to reality. She turned her gaze to her right, Crane walked beside her but his gaze was fixed forward, Tigress glanced down at his wing and saw Viper staring at her with a concerned look stamped on her face.

"W-What?" Tigress stuttered.

"I said, are you alright?" Viper repeated. Tigress nodded her head.

"I'm fine Viper." She lied. Tigress looked away from the snake and gazed down at the snow beneath her feet. Viper cocked an eyebrow, she was unconvinced. She knew something was bothering Tigress and she was determined to find out what.

Shifu walked alongside one of the Anvil of Heaven Guards at the front of the group, Wei walked behind them. His gaze fixed on the snow at his feet, his black scarf fluttered violently in the wind. Two guards stood on either side of him, their hands firmly gripped on the pole of their pole-axes. They were ready in case Wei tried anything to escape.

After trudging through the blizzard for what seemed like forever they finally found themselves standing before a set of enormous double doors, the formation of the mountain surrounding the doors resembled a mouth.

The Anvil of Heaven Guard who stood in front of the group approached the doors, he released the grip of his right hand from his pole-axe and pushed one of the doors open. An eerie creak echoed through the interior of the prison and throughout the mountains that surrounded them.

The nine stepped into the prison, ironically it was colder inside the prison than it was outside. The Anvil of Heaven Guards escorted Wei, Shifu and the Furious Five through the prison.

As they wondered through the cell block prisoners approached their cell doors and firmly gripped the bars. The sounds of their whistling and laughter rang in their ears.

They shouted comments like "Look who's back!" and "Welcome back kid!" and "Hey Tigress, wanna spend the night in my cell?" and "Dead cat walking!"

Once they were out of the prison block the voices of the prisoners died down the further away they got. Then, they arrived at the execution platform.

The Furious Five and Shifu stood before it while the Anvil of Heaven Guards led Wei up the set of stairs that led to the top of the platform. Moments later Wei and the guards stood atop the platform, one of the guards placed his hands on Wei's shoulders and pushed him down to his knees. He then stepped to Wei's right and held his pole-axe out forward with both hands firmly grasped onto the pole. His partner stepped to Wei's left and did the same.

The final guard stood in front of Wei, his arms wrapped behind his back and a stern expression upon his face. Wei looked up into his the guard's beady eyes and saw a glint of satification and triumph. The guard's lips parted as he spoke thusly.

"Wei Zhao, you are guilty of the murder of Lord Chu. As punishment for this crime you will be executed, do you have any last words?" Wei glared into the guard's eyes.

"Yeah, I'll see you in hell." Wei hissed, his voice oozed with hate. The guard said nothing, he merely stepped aside and Wei lowered his head and he gazed down. The wood of the platform was stained red with blood.

The guards raised their pole-axes high above their heads, there was brief moment of silence. There was tension in the atmosphere. Finally the guards brought their axes down on the white tiger, the axe blades aimed for his neck. Wei closed his eyes, ready to welcome the cold embrace of death, when suddenly...

"WAIT!"

To be continued


	10. Chapter 10: Freedom

**Chapter 10: Freedom**

"WAIT!" A familiar voice cried out, echoing in everybody's ears.

Every head in the room snapped in the direction of voice. Wei's eyelids slowly parted as the familiar voice rang past his ears. His gaze darted towards the opposite end of the room behind Shifu and the Five. A silhouette stood by the door, his appearance shrouded by a thick cloak of shadows.

The guard who stood before Wei stepped forward, standing at the edge of the execution platform. His beady, brown eyes narrowed as he glared at the silhoutte with a glint of annoyance in his eyes.

"Who goes there?" He demanded.

The silhouette stepped forward, the dim light of the torches that were mounted on the walls of the room revealed his appearance. He was burlap pants-clad giant panda with jade green eyes.

Tigress' eyes widened at the sight of the panda, her mouth was agape. She felt her heart beat increase at a rapid pace and pound against her chest. Heat caressed her entire body as her cheeks turned a rosey colour. Luckily her orange fur concealed it. She felt a great weight being lifted from her shoulders. Her lips parted and she spoke the panda's name.

"Po?" She asked, hoping it was actually him. Po looked into Tigress' eyes and his lips curled into a smile. Tigress felt her heart melt at the sight of his glorious smile, a smile to die for.

"Yeah it's me, am I too late for the party?" Po replied. Tigress wanted to run at him with full speed and embrace him, but she realised that would've been a bit out of character so she managed to restrain herself.

"Ah, I see you've come to witness the execution." The guard assumed. Po gazed up at the execution platform, his smile curled into a frown and a glint of determination emitted from his eyes.

"No. I'm here to save Wei from a fate he doesn't deserve." Explained Po. Silence blanketed the room, only the sound of the crackling from the flaming torches were heard.

Everyone minus Wei stared at Po wide eyes and open mouths, their expressions obviously filled with confusion and disbelief. The guard standing before Wei managed to recover from his state of shock, his lips parted as he broke the silence.

"What do you mean 'save Wei from a fate he doesn't deserve'? He murdered Lord Chu in cold blood."

"True, he did kill Chu. But it's not what you think, he only did it to save a man's family." Explained Po. The sound of everyone's gasps echoed through the room, then there was another moment of silence where only the crackling of the torches were heard.

A sudden chuckle broke the silence. Po, Shifu and the Furious Five all gazed up at the execution platform. The guard stood at the edge of the tall, wooden platform. His eyelids covered his eyes and a chuckle echoed from within his throat.

The rhino's eyelids parted as he stared at the Dragon Warrior with an amused smile stamped on his face.

"Poor, poor, Dragon Warrior. It's obvious you have been decieved by the wicked lies of this adolescent criminal." Said the guard. Wei narrowed his electric blue eyes and glared at the rhino, his teeth gritted as a growl echoed from his throat. Po shook his head and stared into the rhino's beady, brown eyes.

"It's not a lie, I went to the Emerald City myself, and I found someone who can confirm this." Explained Po.

_"The Emerald City? So that's where he was."_ Thought Tigress.

"Well, then. Where is this 'someone'?" Asked the rhino, who believes Po is bluffing. Po's lips curled into a cocky smirk, he turned his body to his left and extended his left arm out to his left, gesturing that this 'someone' was standing right behind him.

Another silhouette emerged from the shadowy cloak, he was pig with beady brown eyes, clad in a purple robe with black trimmings and a black sash wrapped around his waist. Wei's eyes widened in sight of the pig and his mouth was agape. The pig placed his right fist against his lips and cleared his throat, he then lowered his arm and his lips parted.

"My name is Mr. Chang. I own the only farm in the Emerald City. I'm here today to tell you who Lord Chu _really_ is. He was a tyrant, he abused his power to get whatever he wanted. Whenever another nobleman, or a Kung Fu Master came to our city, Lord Chu ordered us to lie and say that he was a kind-hearted nobleman who spent his free time helping people. Or else he would burn down our houses and execute our families, so we did as he said." Everyone listened intently to 's words. They were in utter disbelief that Lord Chu wasn't who they all thought he was.

"Then he came," Mr. Chang extended his right arm and raised slightly, pointing his finger at Wei.

"Wei came to the Emerald City, in need of rest. Me and my family kindly took him in, a few days later Lord Chu showed up with a few of his guards. He demanded rent but I had already paid it for the month. So then he ordered his guards to hold my wife and son hostage, he threatened to kill them if I didn't pay. I told I didn't have the money but he didn't believe me, so he ordered his men to kill my family. But before they could, Wei swooped in and saved them. Wei didn't murder a nobleman that day, he ended a tyrant."

Silence blanketed the room once more, Mr. Chang's word's replayed themselves in their minds, over and over again. Shifu turned his body around and gazed up at the guard standing at the edge of the platform.

"Release him." Ordered Shifu. The rhino's lowered his gaze to the red panda standing before the execution platform.

"Master Shifu you can't be-" Shifu cut him off by holding out of his right paw, signalling the guard to stop talking. The guard obeyed the Gradmaster and stopped talking.

Shifu lowered his arm and gave the Anvil of Heaven guard an icey glare.

"Now you listen to me, I can tell that Mr. Chang's words were nothing but the truth. If you so much as touch that tiger I'll end you where you stand." Threatened Shifu as he extended his left arm, raising it slightly with his staff pointing towards the rhino.

The guard's mouth hung open and eyelids spread further away from each other. The rhino was at a loss for words. He wanted Wei executed more than anything right now, but if he did, he wouldn't live long enough to enjoy it. The guard's face wrinkled in anger, he turned his head to his left and and gazed over his left shoulder.

"Release him." He muttured. The guard who stood at Wei's left hesitated for a moment, but he gripped the key's strapped to the left of his waist with his left hand and yanked them off of his brown, leather studded belt.

He stepped behind Wei, knelt down and inserted the correct key into the keyhole of the tiger's cuffs. Wei released a sigh of relief as he felt the needles of his cuffs unsheath from his wrists. The cuffs released their strong grip on him and with a loud thud that echoed throughout the room, the cuffs dropped onto the floorboards behind him.

Wei pulled himself to his feet, he rubbed his right wrist with his left paw for a moment. His wrists still ached from the tight grip of the cuffs and the needles. Wei turned around but before he could take a step he felt a strong grip on his right arm.

Wei glanced over his right shoulder to see the Anvil of Heaven Guard. He stared into Wei's eyes, a glint of anger shone in his beady eyes.

"You may be off the hook this time punk, but know this, if you so much as steal an apple from a fruit stand you'll be back on this platform. And next time, nothing will save you." Hissed the guard, his voice oozed with venom. Wei jerked his arm from the rhino's grip.

"I'll keep that in mind." Replied Wei.

Wei snapped his head forward and began walking towards the platform stairs. The floorboards creaked with every step he took, Wei climbed down the platform stairs until he had reached the bottom.

He hobbled past Shifu and the Furious Five who watched him approach Mr. Chang. Wei soon found himself standing before the pig, Mr. Chang stared into Wei's electric blue eyes. His lips curled into a smile, Wei did the same.

The white tiger knelt down in front of Mr. Chang.

"Thank you my friend." Said Wei solemnly.

"No need, I was merely repaying you for what you did for me and my family." Replied the pig.

Wei nodded his head thankfully, he then rose to his feet and began hobbling out of the prison. Po, Mr. Chang, Shifu and the Furious Five followed him.

As Wei made his way through the prison he could feel the eyes of the prisoners and the Anvil of Heaven Guards follow him. Wei soon found himself standing before the enormous double doors, Wei inhaled and exhaled nasally and placed his paws against the cold, iron doors and with the last of his strength he pushed them open.

Wei slumped forward and landed face-first into a pile of snow, Wei felt a cold wind blow against his person. Snow matted his black and white fur, Wei placed his paws against the snow, he attempted to push himself off of the snowy ground but his strength was completely depleted. Suddenly he felt someone grab his left arm and wrap it around a thick neck, the paw firmly grasped onto his wrist. He felt the touch of another paw on the right of his body, Wei was then pulled to his feet.

Wei gazed to his left to see Po, holding him up and a warm smile stretched across his face. Wei gazed forward at the scene in front of him, a thick white veil cloaked the area. Nothing could be seen but the mountain tops.

Wei's eyelids closed over his electric blue eyes and his lips curled into a smile as he felt a cold breeze caress the skin beneath his fur. He had once again left Chor-Gom Prison, but this time, he was doing it as a free tiger.

**And there's chapter 10, sorry for the wait. Please don't hurt me, I was so busy with college and whenever I got home, the effort of writing this chapter just wasn't in me. Anyway we're on a 2 week break for the easter holdidays (YAY) so I'll try to get as many chapters up as I can. **


	11. Chapter 11: Welcome to the Jade Palace

**Chapter 11: Welcome to the Jade Palace**

The sun slowly ascended from beyond the horizon until it rose to peak, signalling the dawn of a new day. The once pitch black sky slowly faded into a magnificent sapphire blue colour.

The sun's golden rays descended down onto the Valley of Peace below, bathing the village with warmth and light. Villagers awoke from their deep, peaceful slumbers. Within hours the village was stirring with citizens.

Po, Wei, The Furious Five and Grandmaster Shifu had just stepped into the village. After a long, drama-filled journey they felt the need for a well deserved rest, especially Wei who was only seconds away from knocking on Death's door.

"Ugh, finally we're home." Groaned Mantis who stood, perched atop the right shoulder belonging to Master Monkey. Shifu turned his body facing Wei who stood at his right, Wei's gaze was fixated on the scene in front of him. Shifu placed his fist against his lips and cleared his throat, Wei was pulled back to reality and turned his gaze to the red panda.

"Wei, first of all I would like to apologise for this entire misunderstanding." Apologised Shifu. Wei's eyelids closed, covering his eyes. The white tiger then slowly shook his head before his eyelids parted again.

"There's no need apologise Master Shifu, you were only doing what you thought was right." Replied Wei. Shifu was impressed, Wei was young but he displayed great wisdom.

"Oh but there is, to show you how sorry we are I am offering you to chance to stay at the Jade Palace." Said Shifu.

Wei raised both eyebrows in surprise, he lifted gaze up to the Jade Palace. It stood proudly atop the Jade Mountain, enticing Wei with its glory. Wei had always heard stories of the Jade Palace, he heard about how it was built by Grandmaster Oogway, the founder of Kung Fu. How the greatest warriors in all of China had trained there, being offered a place there would be the highest honour that could be bestowed upon anybody.

Wei dipped his chin and thought silently, was he really worthy enough to stay at the Jade Palace? Shifu could tell by the blank expression on his face that Wei was deep in his thoughts, Shifu's lips parted as he spoke up.

"Well, what do you say?" Asked Shifu. Wei's eyelids closed over his electric blue eyes and he slowly shook his head. His eyelids parted as he returned his gaze to Shifu.

"Master Shifu, I must thank you for the offer, but I'm afraid I must decline." Answered Wei. Shifu's eyes widened in surprise, never before had somebody turned down an offer to stay at the palace.

"Are you sure?" Asked Shifu.

"I don't think I'm worthy enough, plus I wouldn't want to intrude on your training." Shifu could not help but pity the young warrior, he took a step closer and looked into his eyes.

"Wei, you single-handedly killed a tyrant who had decieved all of China, you showed bravery when you were about to face death. If anything, you are more than worthy." Those words echoed in Wei's mind, he stared into Shifu's eyes in awe.

"Y-You really think so?" Shifu's lips curled into a smile and nodded his head in confirmation. Wei forwarded his gaze and glanced down to the ground at his feet. His lips thinned into a small grin.

"I guess I could stay for a little while." Shifu's smiled stretched further across his face. Wei suddenly felt a paw push down his right shoulder, he almost lost balance and fell over. The paw remained atop his shoulder, then the sound of a childish "Woohoo" rang in his ears.

Wei's head snapped to his left to see Po standing next to him, his paw atop his shoulder and his lips were thinned into a wide smile, Wei saw a glint of happiness and excitment in his jade green eyes.

"This is awesome! You're staying with us Wei, I'm telling you you're going to love it at the palace." Po continued chatting away but his words fell on death ears, Wei stared at Po with a cocked eyebrow. He found it confusing that the Dragon Warrior barely knew him and yet he was already treating him as if they were long-time friends.

Once Po had finished speaking, Wei lowered his eyebrow and he forwarded his gaze. Shifu stepped in front of the group, his posture straight and his hands wrapped behind his back, his left hand was firmly grasped onto the now horizontally positioned staff.

"Come everyone, let's go home." Said Shifu.

With that Shifu turned his back on his students and they trod through the village. Soon they found themselves standing before the thousand steps of the Jade Mountain and climbed them. Once they had reached the top of the steps Po bent his knees, his back slouched as he placed his paws on his knees for support. His chest heaved up and down as he inhaled and exhaled heavily, trying to catch his breath.

He remained in that position for several moments before he straightened his posture and placed his left paw over his chest. He could feel his heart bombarding against his ribcage, Po lowered his paw away from his chest.

Shifu who stood before the palace gates, his gaze fixated on the panda rolled his icey blue eyes and turned his body facing the gates. Shifu placed his free hand on the right gate and pushed it, the gate creaked open and the sound echoed throughout the area.

Everyone stepped through the gate and trod across the arena. They climbed up the second set of steps and stood before the enormous double doors, decorated with green dragons.

Po approached the doors, he placed both paws on both doors and pushed them open revealing a large hall on the other side. Inside the hall were blue support beams with emerald dragons twirling up them. It also contained many weapons, paintings and artifacts. At the end of the hall was large pool that emitted a pale glow, on the ceiling above the pool was a golden dragon statue. On the wall behind the pool were shelves containing at least a thousand scrolls.

Wei's eyelids spread further away from each other and his mouth fell agape in awe at the hall's beauty. He stepped inside the hall, his expression unchanged. His gaze slithered around the interior of the palace.

"Impressive, isn't it?" Said a stern voice, pulling Wei back to reality. Wei turned his body around to see Shifu standing in the doorway, Po and the Furious Five stood behind him. Shifu's lips were curled into a small grin, then his lips parted.

"Wei, allow me to be the first to say," Shifu spread out his arms "Welcome to the Jade Palace."

Wei's lips thinned into a smile, he brought his paws up to chest level and he balled his right paw into a fist. He placed his fist against his left palm and he bowed respectively, he then straightened his posture before saying "Thank you Master."

Shifu turned his head to his left and glanced over his left shoulder, fixating his gaze on Po.

"Po, take our new friend to the Student Barracks to show him his new room, and so he can take a bath." Wei cocked an eyebrow at that last comment. He then lowered his gaze down to his own body and saw that his fur was greasy, dirty, sticky with dried blood, messy and unkempt. He then raised his gaze to Po.

"Follow me." Said Po as he turned his body around. Po then began walking away from the Hall of Heroes, Wei exited the hall and followed Po to the Student Barracks.

Once they arrived Wei stopped in tracks and took a moment to admire the architecture. Po opened the doors and stepped inside, Wei followed him.

Po led the white tiger into corridor where the rooms were. The black and white warriors strolled down the hallway, Po stopped in front of the room next to his. He turned his body to his left, he extended his left arm and slid the rice paper door open. Inside was a small room with rice paper walls and a wooden floor and ceiling. In the top left hand corner of the room was a bamboo bed, next to it was a small, wooden bedside cabinet and at the right hand side of the room was a large, wooden desk and a large, wooden wardrobe.

Po turned his gaze to Wei, the same smile stamped on his muzzle.

"This is your room." Said Po. Wei stared at the room's interior for a brief moment before Po's voice rang in his ears again.

"Now, let's get you cleaned up."

Po led Wei to the bathroom, soon they were standing before the door to the bathroom that the boys use. Po extended his left arm and slid the rice paper door open revealing a large, wooden tub. Wei stepped inside while Po slid the rice paper door again, closing it. Thus giving Wei some privacy. Wei approached the tub and began filling it with warm water.

Once he had finished, steam ascended from the hot water. It curled, twisted and dispursed. Wei stripped off his current clothes revealing his muscular body.

As soon as his body touched the water he felt every muscle in his body completeley relax. He began to lose aches he didn't even know he had. His body slowly slumped, deeper into the warm water. Wei's eyelids closed over his eyes and he released a sigh.

He stayed like that for a few minutes before his eyelids parted, he then began cleaning himself. Soon the water began to turn into a pale brown colour due to all the dirt in his fur. Once Wei was sure he clean he rose from the water. His fur was soaked and disordered. Droplets dripped from his body and back into the water. Wei climbed out of the tub and grabbed a towel from the pile sitting on a counter 2 feet to the tub's left.

Wei rubbed the towel all over his body until his fur was dry. His fur was now dry and clean but now it was still unkempt and disordered. In the corner of his vision he saw a wooden brush which he could tell hadn't been used yet. Wei wrapped the towel around his waist, covering his 'special area' and he extended his left arm, reaching for the brush.

Wei grasped onto the handle firmly and brushed his fur until it was slik and smooth. Wei placed the brush back onto the wooden counter and turned around, he glanced down at the floor, his expression changed to annoyance once he saw that his clothes were drenched.

"Great, now what am I going to where?" Wei asked himself, as if on cue Wei heard a voice call his name from behind the rice paper door.

"Wei, it's Monkey, are you decent?" The simian asked.

"Umm, yeah. sorta." Replied the tiger.

The rice paper door was slid open revealing the Golden snub-nosed monkey on the other side. In his hands he held a pile of jet black clothes, Monkey stepped inside the bathroom and placed the clothes on the counter.

"These are for you, we figured you could use a new set of clothes instead of those rags." Said Monkey. Wei nodded his head thankfully, Monkey turned around and stepped out of the bathroom, sliding the rice paper door closed.

Wei shifted his gaze to the pile of clothes, he approached them and began putting them on. Wei was now wearing a black vest with white trimmings, black, silk sweatpants, a white sash wrapped around his waist, traditional shaolin legs wraps around his ankles and lower legs and finally he wore a pair of wooden sandles with a paw-print pattern upon the bottom.

Wei stood there for a moment admiring his new wears, they were all a perfect fit. Wei turned his body around, facing the damp rags he used to where. Something caught his gaze so he narrowed his eyes. The black scarf he always wore was still dry.

Wei approached the scarf and knelt down infront of it, he extended his right arm, reaching for the scarf and picked it up. Wei wrapped the black scarf around his neck before picking up his damp clothes. Wei returned to his regular straight posture before turning around and walking out of the bathroom.

Wei strolled through the Student Barracks and returned to his new room where he carelessly chucked his damp clothes in the wardrobe. He decided to throw them away another time, Wei stepped out of his room and slid the rice paper door shut.

Suddenly, the sound of chatter echoed past the white tiger's ears. He followed the sound until he found himself standing outside of the Dining Hall. Po and the Furious Five sat at the table, talking, laughing and eating steaming bowls of noodle soup.

Po spotted Wei standing amidst the darkness of the corridor outside of the Dining Hall. The panda's lips curled into a warm smile.

"Wei, buddy, get in here." Said Po as he extended his left arm and pulling it back, gesturing Wei to come in. Wei hesitated for a moment, but he stepped into the Dining Hall, the sunlight gleaming through the windows revealed his appearance. Now that was all clean they could see his facial features perfectly, he had a strong jaw-line, high cheekbones, his eyes were rather sharp and his eyebrows arched slightly. This gave that kind of 'bad boy' appearance. No doubt the ladies would find him remarkably handsome.

"Hey bud, how're you liking the new outfit?" Asked Po. Wei dipped his chin, his eyes fixated on the panda sitting at the opposite end of the table.

"They're nice, thank you." Po's eyelids closed over his eyes and the panda shook his head. He opened his eyes and returned his gaze to the young tiger.

"Don't thank me, thank Viper here." Said Po as he extended his right arm, gesturing to the green snake sitting beside him. Viper glanced at Wei and her lips thinned into a smile.

"It was nothing, really. I figured you would want some new clothes so I went down to the village and bought some. I wanted something that would go with that pretty scarf you're always wearing."

"You didn't have to do that you know. But thanks." Said Wei.

"Oh, it was my pleasure." Replied Viper, that smile still upon her face.

"Take a seat man." Said Po, pointing his index finger at the seat at the opposite end of the table. Wei strolled to seat Po was pointing at, he grabbed the seat with his right paw and pulled it away from the table. Wei sat down on the chair, he lurched forward and rested his elbows on the table.

At the bottom of Wei's vision he saw a bowl of noodle soup, steam ascended from the content as the intoxicating smell crawled its way up the white tiger's nostrils. His stomach growled; Wei gripped the pair of chopsticks petruding from the noodles with his right paw and began eating the noodles.

Wei's tastebud's tingled at the magnificent taste of the noodle soup. Once he had finished he grabbed the bowl with both paws and brought it up to his lips where he then slurped up the remaining soup. Wei released a sigh as he took the bowl away from his lips and placed it back down on the table.

Just then the sound of footsteps echoed past his ears, they got closer and louder until Master Shifu came into his line of vision. Everyone fixed their gazes on their Master.

Shifu's eyes darted across the table and his gaze landed on Wei.

"Wei, I trust everything is going well so far." Wei nodded his head in confirmation "Good, because tomorrow we begin." Wei cocked an eyebrow and stared at the red panda in confusion.

"Begin what?" Wei asked.

"Your training."


	12. Chapter 12: First Day of Training

**Chapter 12: First Day of Training **

The sun slowly rose from the horizon, a sapphire blanket stretched across the sky as the golden orb rose to peak. The sun's golden rays descended upon the Jade Palace below. The light reflected off of the palace, giving it an almost heavenly glow.

The beams crept through the one of the windows of the student barracks and shone upon the face of a certain sleeping white tiger. Wei. Heat caressed the young tiger's face as the sunlight crawled underneath his closed eyelids.

Wei let out a moan and his eyes flickered open. Due to his eyes not being used to the light yet, Wei immediately shut his left eye tight and he narrowed his right eye. He raised his right paw above his to block out the light.

Once his eyes finally adjusted Wei lowered his arm and sat up from his bed. The brown blanket that covered his body dropped from his upper body, exposing his naked, muscular physique. The sun's rays glowed on the outlines of his toned muscles.

Wei rubbed his paws into eye, he lowered his paws away from his face and his sharp, blue eyes blinked a couple of times. Wei gripped the blanket with his left paw and yanked the brown blanket from his lower body, revealing his legs clad in black sweatpants.

The white tiger swung his legs over the edge of the bed and stood from up it. Wei stretched out his arms before he let them flop to his sides. Wei averted his gaze to the large, wooden wardrobe standing 9 feet away from him.

Wei groggily hobbled towards the wardrobe. He opened it revealing a jet black vest with white trimmings hanging from a cloth hanger, that was dangling from a long, horizontally positioned bronze pole. His jet black scarf also dangled from the bronze pole. Wei yanked the vest from the cloth hanger and put it on. He then grabbed his scarf and wrapped it around his neck before closing his wardrobe.

The sound of the morning gong rang in Wei's ears, he remembered the previous day when Shifu told him about his training. He told Wei to be up by the morning gong. Wei approached the rice paper door and slid it open.

Wei stepped into the wall and he averted his gaze to his right to see the Furious Five standing in front of there rooms. Their postures straight and their expressions stern.

"Good morning Master." They said in unison. Wei then noticed that Po wasn't outside of his room, the sound of the panda's faint snores echoed past the tiger's ears.

Shifu also noticed that the Dragon Warrior was still sleeping in. Shifu closed his eyes and released a sigh. He opened his eyes and gazed at Tigress.

"Tigress, wake Po up would you?" Tigress inhaled and exhaled nasally, signalling that she was annoyed. The tiger approached the door opposite her and slid it open.

Tigress' eyes darted to the end of the room where she saw Po, lying on his back, his eyelids covered his green eyes and his chest rose slowly.

Tigress approached the sleeping panda and gently placed her paw on his shoulder, once her paw came into contact with his body a silent gasp escaped Tigress' lips. Po's fur, it was silky, smooth and soft.

How come she had never noticed before? She's had physical contact with the panda before, she's even hugged him twice. But never before had she realised how soft and smooth his fur was.

Tigress then closed her eyes and quickly shook her head. Her eyelids parted as she returned her gaze to the sleeping panda. Tigress gently shook Po's shoulder.

"Po, wake up." She said. Tigress' harmonic voice echoed in Po's ears, thus waking the Dragon Warrior from his deep slumber. Po's eyelids parted, revealing a pair of jade green irises beneath them.

Po found himself looking into Tigress' red eyes. Their gazes were locked onto each other for what felt like an eternity, their cheeks turned a rosey colour and their bodies heated up. Po's lips parted and he spoke up.

"Uhh... M-Morning T-Tigress." Po stuttered.

"M-Morning Po. It's um, time to get up."

"Oh. R-right." Tigress withdrew her hand from Po's shoulder. She then turned her body around. Po's gaze followed the female tiger who was now trodding out of his room.

Po gripped his brown blanket with his left paw and yanked them from his lower body. Po swung his legs over the edge and stood up from his bed.

The Dragon Warrior released a yawn and groggily hobbled out of his room. Po stood in the hallway outside of his room, he averted his gaze to Shifu who stared back at him with a blank upon his face, but Po noticed a glint of annoyance in his eyes.

Shifu took his gaze away from the panda and placed his right fist against his lips. Shifu cleared his throat and lowered arm and placed the back of his fist against his back.

"Alright everyone, today we'll be doing things a little differently due to our new arrival." Said Shifu formally as he extended his left arm and titled his wrist so that the tip of his staff was pointing at Wei.

Shifu pulled back his arm and planted the bottom of his staff firmly on the floorboards. The aged red panda then turned his body around and he marched out of the student barracks.

"Well, who's hungry?" Said Po as clapped his hands together.

"I am!" Replied Mantis eagerly. Po led the Furious and Wei to the Dining Hall. While the six sat at the table, Po began making his much-loved noodle soup.

The room began to fill with the intoxicating aroma of Po's cooking. Everyone's mouths began to water and their stomachs ached with hunger.

Once Po had finished he scooped out a ball of noodles with his ladel and poured it into a bowl. Steam slowly ascended from the bowl, it twisted, expanded and dispursed.

The smell of Po's cooking filled their nostrils and their stomachs and growled and they ached even more. Po repeated the action six more times and he placed the bowls of noodles in front of each of his friends. Finally he sat down at the head of the table and placed a bowl before himself.

Everyone devoured the contents of their bowls. Their stomachs were filled and their hungers satisfied. They all rose from their seats and exited the kitchen.

They all casually walked out of the Student Barracks and made their way towards the Training Hall.

Once they arrived Po stepped forward and pushed the enormous, wooden, double doors open. Shifu stood before his students, his posture straight, his right arm wrapped behinds back and his staff was firmly gripped by his left paw.

The students approached their Master and stood before him, formally in a line. Shifu turned his gaze to Wei who stood at the end of the line.

"Wei, I believe that belongs to you." Said Shifu as he extended his right arm out to his right, pointing his index finger at something. Wei's gaze followed the direction Shifu was pointing to and what he saw made his eyes widen.

Resting against the wall was his katana, sheathed into its black scabbard. Wei dashed over to the weapon and grasped the handle firmly with his right paw. Wei lifted the sheathed weapon and grabbed the scabbard with his left paw.

Wei slowly unsheathed the blade from the black scabbard. Once the blade was free Wei lowered his left arm, the scabbard still in his grip. He extended his right arm forward, the tip of the katana blade pointed upwards.

Wei's eyes scanned the blade, making sure it was still in good condition. There was no scratch, no chip, no dent, nothing. The katana was still in perfect condition. Wei released a sigh of relief before sheathing his weapon and strapping it to the left of his waist.

Wei turned around facing the group, their gazes fixated on the white tiger.

"Wei, I was hoping you would give us a demonstration of your swordsmanship." Said Shifu.

"Yeah, sure." Wei agreed.

The white tiger's gaze shifted around the room, looking for something he could use to display his swordsmanship. Suddenly something caught his eyes, it looked like a training dummy that resembled a bandit.

Wei approached the dummy, he was followed by the gazes belonging to the Masters. Wei stood before the dummy, his right paw glided over to the handle of his katana.

He grasped the handle firmly and unsheathed the weapon. Wei held the katana out to his right. His left paw then grapsed onto the handle.

Wei bent his elbows and tilted the blade until the tip was pointing behind him, he then bent his knees and glared at the dummy. There was a moment of complete silence. The room was filled with an atmosphere of suspense.

Finally Wei lunged past the dummy and landed just behind it. Everyone cocked an eyebrow in confusion, they didn't see Wei swing his katana. Wei glided the blade of his katana into his scabbard and with a clang the blade was sheathed.

Then the dummy suddenly collasped into six different pieces. Everyone's eyes widened and their mouths were agape. The pieces weren't jagged they were all smooth, clean cuts.

"W-Wow... Just... Wow." Said Po in awe.

"I agree, your swordsmanship is impressive. Where did you learn to wield a sword like that?" Asked Shifu curiously. Wei turned his upper body to his left and glanced at Shifu.

"My father was a general in Imperial Army, he taught me a few things. This was actually his katana." Said Wei as lowered his gaze to sheathed weapon strapped to the left of his waist.

"You're father must've been an astounding warrior." Said Shifu.

"Yeah, he was." Replied Wei. His tone of was emotionless and the facial expression was blank, but Shifu noticed a glint of sadness in his eyes.

"Well, let's see how good you are in hand-to-hand combat." Shifu averted his gaze to Tigress.

"Master Tigress, spar with Wei." Ordered Shifu.

"Yes, Master." Replied Tigress.

Tigress approached Wei while the white tiger unstrapped the sheathed katana from his waist. Wei gently placed the weapon on the floorboards and stood up straight, glaring into Tigress' eyes.

Both tigers took a fighting stance, once again there was suspense in the atmosphere as the felines stared into each other's eyes. Waiting for the other to make the first move.

Finally Wei sprinted towards Tigress. Once he was within range he swung his right fist at the female. Tigress caught Wei's fist with her left paw before it made contact. Wei's eyelids spread further away from each other and his fell open.

Tigress twisted her body around and flipped Wei over her shoulder. The white tiger landed on his back with a painful thud, Wei groaned in pain. His eyes were shut tight and his teeth clenched as his jaw contracted.

Wei pulled himself to his feet and glared at Tigress over his left shoulder. Wei then turned around, his body facing the female tiger. He re-took his fighting stance as did Tigress.

Wei dashed at Tigress again, once he was within range he threw a couple of punches at Tigress but the feline skillfully dodged them. Tigress landed a powerful kick to the young tiger's stomach sending him staggering backwards.

Wei lurched forward and wrapped his arms around his stomach. Wei coughed violently as his face wrinkled and his teeth gritted pain. Wei fought the pain in his stomach and lowered his arms away from them. He glared at Tigress and once again took his fighting stance. Tigress also took her fighting stance and readied herself.

Wei sprinted towards Tigress, he then threw a few of punches at her but Tigress blocked them all. Wei attempted to roundhouse kick her in the face but Tigress crouched down causing Wei's leg to glide past her head. Tigress extended her right leg out and leg swept the Demon Swordsman. Wei landed on his back with a painful thud, Wei gritted his teeth and hissed in pain.

"That's enough." Said Shifu. Wei struggled to his feet and fixed his gaze on Shifu.

"Wei, though your swordsmanship is impressive, your hand-to-hand combat however needs some work. So for today, I want you to practise on that wooden over there." Said Shifu as extended right arm forward and pointed his index finger at a steel-studded, wooden training dummy.

Wei approached the dummy and began to pulverise it punches and kicks. The arms of the wooden dummy spun at a fast pace which made it almost difficult to hit them all. Also the steel studs made the experience painful.

For the entire day the seven warriors trained hard, soon the sun began its descent and soon it disappeared over the horizon and a black veil stretched over the sky.

The cresent moon hung in the sky above, it emitted a dim glow and an army of stars littered the sky. The seven warriors trudged up the steps that led to the Student Barracks. Wei rubbed his left paw with his right, his paws were now bruised, scratched and they were throbbing with pain.

Po stepped closer to Wei, that same smile stretched across his muzzle.

"So, Wei. What did you think of your first day?" Asked Po.

"Painful." Replied Wei, he gaze remained fixated on his paws. Po couldn't help but chuckle at that comment.

"I know what you mean, when I first came here I couldn't stay on my feet for 5 minutes." The warriors finally arrived at the barracks and went inside. While Po and the Five made their way to the kitchen to have dinner, Wei departed from the group and made his way to his room. Po noticed this and spoke up.

"Hey Wei, where are you going buddy?" Asked Po. Wei turned his upper body to his left and glanced over his left shoulder. Wei gazed into Po's eyes and said "I'm gonna go to bed, I'm really tired."

"Are you sure you don't want any dinner?"

"No, but thanks anyway." Wei then disappeared down the hallway and Po followed the Five into the kitchen.

Wei wondered down the hallway, past the rooms that belonged to the Masters. He finally arrived at his room and he slid the rice paper door open. Wei approached his bed, he then unstrapped his katana from his waist and against his bedside cabinet.

Wei climbed into his bed, he gripped the blanket with his left paw and pulled it over his lower body. Wei rested his head on the pillow, his eyelids soon became heavy, he could feel his consciousness slipping. Then his eyelids closed over his eyes and Wei fell into a deep slumber.

* * *

_An eerie shriek echoed through the night sky. A young Wei was on his knees, his left paw was placed against his left eye. Blood streamed down his face and it leaked between his fingers and trickled down his paw. _

_Wei's face wrinkled in pain, his teeth gritted and his jaw contracted. Wei forced open his right eye and gazed up at the silhouette standing before him. The smoke from the surrounding fires masked his appearance, but Wei could see his glowing red irises. _

_"Be thankful boy, I've spared you from the same fate as your family." Said the silhouette, he spoke with a very deep voice. Anger coursed through Wei's veins and he glared into the silhouttes crimson eyes. _

_"You... You evil monster!" Yelled Wei. The silhouette didn't reply, he merely stared into the cub's eyes. The sound of the fires crackling and the screams of the villagers filled the silence. The silhouette knelt down on one knee in front of the cub. _

_"Boy, allow me to tell you the definition of evil. Evil is a matter of perspective. From the perspective of the one doing the action it is either for survival, doing the right thing or through anger. But through the eyes of someone else the action is evil, cruel, not nice. But in the end it's all a matter of perspective. That young one, is the definition of evil." _

* * *

Wei's eyes snapped open and he quickly sat up from his bed. His gaze shifted around the room and he realised it was all just a dream. Wei let out a sigh of relief and rested his head back onto the pillow. As drifted off to sleep, those six words, the silhouette's definition of evil replayed itself in his mind over and over again.

_Evil is a matter of perspective_


	13. Chapter 13: A New Threat

**Chapter 13: A New Threat**

A fortnight had passed since Wei's arrival at the Jade Palace. Wei's Kung Fu skills were improving at an impressive rate, but the young white tiger still had much to learn. Things were also begining to get a bit awkward between Po and Tigress because of the confusing feelings they have for each other.

The sun was at its highest peak, the magnificent blue sky was littered with puffy white clouds. The sun's rays bathed the Valley of Peace with warmth and light.

Seven warriors stood within the walls of the Jade Palace's training hall. Wei and Po stood nine feet opposite each other, in fighting positions. The Furious Five crowded them, staring intently at the scene before them.

Po and Wei's lips were thinned into cocky smirks. An atmosphere of suspense filled the room. Finally Wei charged towards Po, the panda remained in his current stance. Once Wei was within range he balled his right paw into a fist and swung, horizontally at Po's jaw.

Po's left ear twitched before he raised his left arm causing Wei's antecubital to collide with the Dragon Warrior's forearm. Wei immediately retracted his arm before attempting to roundhouse kick the Dragon Warrior in the right of his abdomen with his left foot.

Po used his left paw to parry the tiger's foot causing Wei's leg to jerk in the opposite direction. Wei planted his left foot firmly on the ground with his right foot pivoting it. It was now Po's turn to go on the offensive.

Po threw 4 punches at the Demon Swordsman but Wei skillfully blocked them all. Po spun his body 180 degrees, once his back was facing Wei, he leaned his upper body forward, raised and bent his right leg and quickly extended his leg, planting his foot into the white tiger's stomach.

Wei grunted in pain as his body flew across the room. Wei slammed into the wooden wall, the sudden force caused his arms and legs to jerk backwards and crash against the wall.

Wei dropped down to the floorboards almost immediately after hitting the wall and he landed on his posterior. A groan echoed in Wei's throat, his eyes were shut tight, his was wrinkled and his teeth gritted.

Po returned to his usual straight posture, he then approached the downed tiger and extended his right arm, offering to help him up. Wei extended his right arm and grabbed Po's paw, the panda's lips curled into a smile and he pulled the Demon Swordsman to his feet. Wei let go of Po's paw and they both withdrew their arms.

Wei then bent his knees slightly as he brushed his paws against his upper legs to get the dust off of his sweatpants. Once he was finished he regained his usual straight posture.

"You're getting better Wei." Complimented Po. Wei averted his gaze to the panda and made eye contact.

"Yeah, but I'm still not as good as you guys though." Replied Wei.

"True, but we've been doing this for years. You've only been at it for a couple of weeks. But don't worry, you'll get there." Po reassured.

"Hopefully soon. I'm tired of ending up on my ass everytime I fight one of you guys." Po let out a chuckle before walking away from Wei. The white tiger let out a sigh before he resumed his training session.

* * *

The moon hung high above the empty, pitch black sky. Wei and the Furious Five all sat impatiently at the large wooden table inside of Student Barracks' dining hall. After another long day of training their stomach's ached with hunger.

Po, who had just finished making his secret ingredient soup, filled seven bowls with the much-loved cuisine. Po turned around, two bowls in both paws and three bowls upon his forearms.

Po approached the table and gently set the bowls down in front of each of his friends. The scent of Po's cooking crawled its way up their nostrils, enticing them with the promise of satisfying their hungers.

The seven warriors devoured their dinner and they leaned back in their chairs with full stomachs.

"Man, I can never get enough of your food Po." Said Mantis. Po's lips thinned into a smile.

"Thanks, buddy." Replied Po. The room was then blanketed by a moment of silence, finally the silence was broken by Wei.

"Well, I think I'm gonna hit the hay." Said Wei.

"Yeah me too." Said Monkey.

"Me three." Said Crane. All the warriors rose from their seats and exited the dining hall. The seven warriors then casually made their way to their rooms, they all said their goodnights before entering their rooms.

* * *

A ferocious blizzard blew upon the mountain tops, the entire area was blanketed by a thick, white veil. A lone figure trudged through the knee height snow.

The figure was tall, at least 6 ft 2. He was broad-shouldered and incredibly muscular. He wore a black, metal helmet with a black faceplate that concealed his face. Upon his body he wore black armour that consisted of a black, metal chest plate, black, metal shoulder plates and black, metal greaves.

He also wore black, leather gloves, white bandages wrapped around his upper arms and legs, wooden sandals, a golden sword sheathed within a black scabbard that was strapped to left of his waist and a tattered black cloak that blew violently in the wind.

The armoured stranger continued trudging through the seemingly endless field of snow. He couldn't see anything past the thick blizzard and all he could here was the wind's eerie howl.

Finally, he had found what he had been looking for. Before him was the entrance to a small cave at the bottom of a high mountain, inside the cave he could see the dim, flickering light of a camp fire.

The armoured stranger trudged over to the cave entrance, the snow crunching beneath his feet as he took firm footsteps. The armoured stranger stepped inside the cave, his gaze shifted around the interior.

There he saw someone sitting by the camp fire, his appearance covered by a tattered brown cloak and his face concealed by a brown hood. The cloaked one turned his head in the direction of the armoured stranger.

"Who are you? And what do you want?" Demanded the cloaked one, his tone of voice was emotionless.

"Call me Kira, I am here on behalf of the Supreme Leader." Said Kira. The cloaked one could tell by his voice pitch that this "Kira" person was young. The cloaked one rose to his feet, his cloak opened slightly revealing his lower body. He was wearing tattered and burnt purple sweatpants and a leather, steel-studded belt.

"Well 'Kira', you've answered my first question but not my second. So I'm going to ask you again, What do you want?" He asked again.

"The Supreme Leader is in need of your services... Tai Lung." Tai Lung flinched once he heard his name being spoken. The snow leopard gritted his teeth as a growl echoed in his throat.

He then lunged at armoured one and tackled him to the ground. Tai Lung grapsed his throat firmly, pinning him to the ground.

"How did you know?" Tai Lung hissed. Kira let out a chuckle, he then grabbed Tai Lung's forearm with his left, gloved paw and began squeezing hard.

Tai Lung yelped in pain and released his grip. Kira then balled his right paw into a fist and swung it horizontally at the cloaked snow leopard. Kira's fist collided with Tai Lung's jaw, sending the snow leopard rolling off of him.

Kira rose to his feet and glared at Tai Lung through his faceplate. Tai Lung got to his feet, Kira's punch had knocked his hood off revealing his face.

The right side of Tai Lung's face was severly burnt and his right eye was completely white. Kira's stomach churned at the snow leopard's appearance.

"Gross, what happened to you?" Asked Kira. Tai Lung's face wrinkled and his teeth gritted in anger and he snapped in head to his right so that Kira could only see the left half of his face.

"The Dragon Warrior," He hissed, his voice oozed with anger and hate " He stole my title, he humiliated me in combat and he did this to me." He said as raised his right paw and gently placed against, the burnt, deformed half of his face.

"Well, as I was saying before you rudely interrupted me. The Supreme Leader is in need of your services, all you have to do is swear your loyalty to him and he'll give you what your heart desires. Revenge on the Dragon Warrior." A blanket of silence filled the cave, Kira looked into Tai Lung's good eye and he could see that he was deeply thinking about the offer.

Finally, Tai Lung forwarded his gaze. Once again revealing the deformed half of his face. He Looked Kira deeply in the eyes, which he couldn't really see due to the fact his face was covered by a faceplate. His lips parted as he spoke those two words.

"I accept."


	14. Chapter 14: The Question

**Chapter 14: The Question **

Under the sapphire blue Wei and Po strolled through the village. The Dragon Warrior and the Demon Swordsman both held large, wooden crates in their arms. The village around them was stirring, couples were walking hand-in-hand, children were running around, playing with their friends and pretending to be Kung Fu masters.

Wei couldn't help but smile as he fixed his gaze on the scene before him. It reminded him of his own village. His village... Wei's smile collasped into a frown as he remembered his village's fate. The memory of that day flashed before his eyes, the fires, the blood, the screaming people and those crimson red eyes.

"Wei." Called Po. Wei returned to reality and averted his gaze to the giant panda walking beside him at his left. He noticed concerned look in Po's jade green eyes. Wei cocked an eyebrow.

"What?"

"Umm... Are you okay?" Said Po, his voice was laced with concern.

"Yeah, why?"

"Your scars."

"What about them?" Wei raised his left arm and gently placed his index, middle and ring fingers against his scars. He then felt a warm liquid upon his fingertips. Wei lowered his paw away from his eye and what he saw made his eyes grow wide.

Upon his finger was blood, Wei cocked an eyebrow in confusion before he quickly bent down and placed the crate on the ground. Wei marched over to a barrel of water standing six feet to his right.

Wei bent over the barrel and stared at his reflection in the crystal clear, blue water. Wei's three scars were now red with blood, the white tiger dabbed his right paw into the water and rubbed the blood from his scars.

Once the blood was clean from his face, Wei applied pressure to his scars to stop any further bleeding.

_"Strange. Why are my scars bleeding? They haven't bled since the day I got them." _

"Wei, you okay bro?" Said Po.

Wei returned his gaze to Po, lowering his arm since the bleeding had now stopped. Wei looked into panda's eyes and faked a smile.

"Yeah, I'm fine. That happens from time to time." Wei lied. Po wasn't convinced, he saw through Wei's lie due to the glint of confusion in his eyes. Po decided to drop the subject... for now.

Wei turned around and returned to the crate he set down earlier. Wei bent down picked the crate up with both paws and straightened his posture.

"Let's go." Said Wei. With that Wei and Po made their through the village until they had reached the bottom of the thousand steps of the Jade Mountain. Po's gaze darted up the steps, the panda slouched and released an irritated groan.

Wei closed his eyes and let out a chuckle, he opened his eyes and returned his gaze to the Dragon Warrior.

"Man up you big baby." Said Wei. Po averted his gaze to the white tiger.

"Pandas and stairs do NOT go together."

"Neither does my foot and your ass, but I think I can make an exception if you don't move." Wei threatened.

"Alright, alright." Po and Wei ascended up the stairs. By the time they were half way up, Po was literally climbing up the steps. Po's inhaled and exhaled heavily, his chest heaved as he tried to catch his breath.

Wei stared down at the panda and rolled his eyes.

"Come on Po, we're almost there. You've done this hundreds of times." Po lifted his gaze to the white tiger standing over him.

"I'll tell you this, it's not getting any easier." Po then climbed to his feet and the two black and white warriors continued their ascent up the stairs. Once they had reached the top of the stairs and passed through the Jade Palace gates, Po dropped his crate and slumped backwards. The panda landed on his back, Wei shifted his gaze to the downed panda, he watched his chest heave up and down.

Po sat up and his body slouched, sweat droplets streaked down his face and he inhaled and exhaled heavily, trying to catch his third wind.

Po sat there for a few moments, a cool breeze blew against his person and flushed the heat out of his body. Po let out a sigh as he pulled himself to his feet.

Po bent down and picked up his crate with both paws and he followed Wei to the Student Barracks.

The two warriors stood before the Student Barracks, Wei extended his right arm and opened the door. Wei and Po stepped inside and strode towards the kitchen, Po simply set the crate down and Wei placed his crate on top of Po's before they stepped out of the room.

The sound of firm footsteps against the floorboards rang in their ears, causing Wei's left ear to twitch. The footsteps and got louder and closer, they both averted their gaze to the direction of the footsteps.

Tigress appeared down the hallway, Po felt his heart rate increase at the sight of the Master of Tiger Style. Heat caressed his cheeks as they turned a rosey pink colour and his palms became sweaty. Po looked into the tiger's red eyes, he had completely lost himself in those beautiful, red jewels.

It wasn't until Tigress spoke up that Po managed to return to reality.

"Po, Wei, good morning." She said. Her voice was music to the panda's ears.

"Good morning Tigress." Replied Wei.

"Um-uh g-good m-morning T-Tigress. Y-You, look hot... I mean! You look hot, because it's hot outside, isn't it? I'm not saying you're ugly! You're an attractive woman, but I mean that as friend!" Wei shoved his left elbow into the right of Po's stomach, shutting him up. Tigress stood there with an arched eyebrow and a confused looked upon her face.

"Ummm... Thanks?" Tigress turned around and disappeared down the hallway. Wei cocked an eyebrow and slowly averted his gaze to the panda standing at his left.

"What was that about?" Said Wei.

"N-Nothing." Po stuttered. Wei noticed that Po's gaze was fixated on where Tigress once stood. Wei narrowed his eyes and saw that Po's cheeks blushed beneath his white fur. Wei then came to the realisation of what had occured.

"You like Tigress, don't you?" Said Po. Po's cheeks flared up and were now redder than cherries. Po's entire body heated up and Po's heart bombarded against his chest.

"N-No I don't." Said Po defensively.

"Yes you do. I saw the way you looked at her, and not to mention what happened just now." Po turned his gaze to the Demon Swordsman and his lips parted. Po couldn't think of a reply so he closed his lips and turned his gaze away, avoiding eye contact. Po then released a sigh of defeat.

"Alright I admit it. I'm in love with Tigress, you happy now?" Wei remained silent, his expression blank as usual. Po turned to the white tiger but his gaze was fixated on the floorboards at his feet.

"So, are you going to tell everybody now?" Wei's expression softened and he shook his head.

"No, but I think you should tell her." Said Wei. Po lifted his gazed and stared into Wei's sharp, electric blue eyes.

"I can't do that, she's Master Tigress, she's the most ferocious, elegant, graceful and beautiful girl in all of China. And I'm just a fat, childish panda. What chance do I have with her?" Said Po sadly, Wei saw that glint of sorrow in his eyes.

"Po, you don't give yourself enough credit. You're a nice, caring guy who sees the good in people. Sure you're a grown panda who likes to play with action figures and act like a little kid. But it's just one of those things that you unique to other guys. Any girl would be lucky to have you. You just need to summon up that Dragon Warrior courage and tell Tigress how you feel. Ask her out on a date or something." Said Wei.

"W-What if she doesn't feel the same way? I don't want to ruin our friendship." Wei placed his left paw on the panda's right shoulder.

"True, your friendship will be gone but it will be replaced with something better. I've seen the way Tigress looks at you, I know for a fact that she feels the same way about you."

"Are you sure?" said Po. Wei's lips curled into a comforting smile and he nodded his head.

"Positive." Wei replied.

* * *

The moon hung high in the jet black sky. A dim, silver glow emitted from the giant orb and a mulitude littered the night sky.

Two figures sat in a small boat, slowly drifting along a calm, black river. One of the two figures sat at the front of the boat with his legs and arms crossed. He was clad in black armour, white bandages around his upper arms and legs and a large black cloak. The other was a snow leopard, the right half of his face was severly deformed and his left eye was completley white. He was clad in tattered, burnt, purple sweatpants and a brown, leather, steel-studded belt.

The sound of the water brushing against the boat the wind blowing past their ears filled the silence. A few minutes later the snow leopard grew impatient and he released a sigh. He glanced up at the armour-clad warrior sitting before him with his back turned to him. The leopard's lips parted as he broke the silence.

"Kira, how long until we reach our destination?" Demanded the leopard.

"Oh stop complaining like a kitten Tai Lung, I told you we'll get there when we get there." Said Kira. His gaze remained forward.

"But what're we looking for?"

"Not what. But whom."

"Okay, _who _are we looking for?"

"You'll see soon enough." Replied Kira.

"One more thing, this 'Supreme Leader' how is he going to help me get my revenge on the panda?" Said Tai Lung.

"He'll train you, you'll surpass your limits and become stronger than you could've ever imagined." Replied Kira.

Once again there was silence between the two warriors. After drifting along the river for what felt like forever they had finally reached their destination. The boat stopped once it touched land, Kira and Tai Lung both stepped out of it. They now stood before a large, industrial, abandoned factory. Tai Lung stared at the factory and cocked an eyebrow in confusion. He then averted his gaze to Kira who stood at his left.

"What is this place?" Kira didn't reply. The armour-clad then approached the factory and pushed the large, cold, metal doubles doors open.

They stepped inside and stopped dead in their tracks, just nine feet away from the entrance. The factory was pitch black and the only source of light was the dim moonlight shining through the windows and the faint, silver trail of light that crept through the open doors.

Kira's gaze shifted around the interior, trying to spot who he was looking for.

"Who goes there." A voice pierced through the shadows and echoed past their ears.

"My name is Kira." Said Kira.

"What do you want?" Demanded the voice.

"We're here for you." Replied Kira. Just then Tai Lung spotted something in the corner of his vision, it was small, shiny, sharp and it was flying at Kira.

"Kira look out!" Tai Lung exclaimed. Kira's right paw glided over to the handle of his sword and he gripped it firmly. Kira then yanked the three foot long blade from his scabbard and he swung the sword horizontally to his right.

With a clang and flying sparks the shiny, sharp object flew away from Kira and disappeared into the shadows. Kira glided the blade of his sword back into his scabbard and he slowly sheathed it.

"Now that wasn't very nice." Said Kira.

"LEAVE!" Boomed the voice. The direction of the voice was different this time, almost like the person the voice belonged to was right above them.

"Hear me out, my Master requires your assistance." Just then Kira saw a silhoutte drop from the ceiling and land just at the end of the trail of moonlight shining through the open double doors. The silhouette was still cloaked by the veil of shadows but Kira could make out his body shape. He was small, thin and lean.

"Why should I help you?" Said the silhouette. Kira dipped his chin and stared at the silhouette through his black faceplate.

"My Master can give you the one thing you've always wanted. Power!" Said Kira. The silhoutted stepped into the moonlight, revealing his appearance. Tai Lung's good eye widened in shock.

"You?" Was the only word that escaped the leopard's lips.

"What does your Master want in exchange?"

"Your allegiance." Replied Kira.

* * *

The moon's dim, silver rays reflected off of the Jade Palace. Giving it a kind of spiritual appearance. Po sat before the Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom, his legs dangling over the edge of the hill.

Po's gazed was fixated on the horizon but his mind was miles away. All he could think about was Tigress, he wanted so badly to tell her his feeling for her but he's worried he might get rejected and his friendship with her would be over. Po closed his eyes and he let out a sigh. He opened his eyes and stared out into the horizon again.

A soft breeze caressed his person, his black and white fur swayed gracefully in the wind. The sound of the wind blowing past his ears filled the silence; Po was once again lost in his thoughts. Suddenly, a beautiful, harmonic voice yanked the Dragon Warrior back to reality.

"Po?" The panda's head snapped to his left and he glanced over his left shoulder. Standing next to the peach tree was none other than Tigress herself. Her eyes glowed in the darkness and her fur glistened in the pale moonlight.

"Oh, um... Hi Tigress, what're you doing out here?" Said Po.

"I couldn't sleep. What about you?"

"I'm just thinking." Replied the panda. Tigress approached the panda and knelt down next to him at his left. Tigress gently placed her right paw on his left shoulder. The feline's heart rate increased and she felt like she had been set on fire. Po was also experiencing these feelings.

"Po, if something is bothering you, you can talk to me about it." Said Tigress softly. Po gazed into the tiger's eyes. His heart felt like it was going to burst out of his rib cage, part of him wanted to kiss her right then and there but he feared she would've killed him. So he fought off the urge. Po's lips parted as he spoke up.

"T-Tigress, there's something I have to tell you,"

"What is it Po?" Po's heart was now beating at an impossibly fast rate and he felt like he was standing in the very core of the sun itself.

"I umm... I just wanted to tell you that I... Umm... I was wondering if you wanted to... Nevermind." Said Po as forwarded his gaze, avoiding eye contact. Tigress rose to her feet with a straight posture.

"Well, when you're ready to tell me what it is, you know I'm all ears." Said Tigress. The feline then turned around and began to walk away from the panda. Po's heart sank, how could he chicken out like that? He's supposed to be the Dragon Warrior. He's defeated some of China's most deadliest criminals and yet he couldn't even tell Tigress how he feels about her.

Just then, Wei's words on encouragment echoed in his mind.

_"You just need to summon up that Dragon Warrior courage and tell Tigress how you feel. Ask her out on a date or something." _

Po decided to take Wei's advice, he inhaled nasally and rose to his feet. He turned around facing Tigress who was walking away and he called out to her.

"Tigress." Called Po. Tigress's ears flinched once she heard the panda's voice, she stopped dead in her tracks and turned around gazing into his jade green eyes. She couldn't help but notice a glint of courage inside them.

"What is it Po?" Po once again inhaled nasally, his heart bombarded against his chest. He then closed his tight and he asked her the question.

"Tigress, will you go on a date with me?!"

To be continued


	15. Chapter 15: Painful Memories

**Chapter 15: Painful Memories **

Kira and Tai Lung stared at the figure before them, the eyelids on Tai Lung's right eye spread further away from each other and his mouth fell agape. The figure's appearance had now been revealed since he had stepped into the silver trail of moonlight, creeping through the enormous, metal double doors.

The skinny, lean figure standing before them was an albino peacock. His feathers were unkempt and dirty, his white, silk robe was covered with brown patches which were obviously burns and the robe was covered with several holes. The peacocks red eyes burned with hatred. A glint of light shone upon Tai Lung's right eye, causing him to narrow it slightly. Tai Lung's followed the direction of the small light.

Tai Lung looked down at the peacock's legs and his good eye doubled in size. The peacock's left leg was a mangled, deformed mess. The snow leopard's stomach churned at the sight. Also the peacock's mangled, mess of a leg was held by a shiny, metal brace.

"Lord Shen," Kira's voice broke the silence, the peacock stared at the armoured warrior. He couldn't see Kira's face due to the helmet and faceplate he wore upon his head. "So, what do you say to my generous offer?"

A wave of silence filled the entire factory. Finally, after several minutes, Shen's beak parted as he broke the silence.

"I except your offer." Kira smiled behind his faceplate and he let out a small chuckle.

"Wonderful," The armour-clad warrior turned his body so that his back was facing Shen. "Come, the Supreme Leader is waiting."

Kira strode out of the factory with Tai Lung and Shen following behind him. The clanging sound of Shen's metal brace rang in their ears. The armour-clad climbed into the boat, followed by Shen. Tai Lung approached the boat and placed his paws against the back of it.

The snow leopard pushed the boat away from land and into deeper water. Once the boat was afloat, Tai Lung climbed inside and the boat was carried along, the calm, black river as they journeyed to an unknown destination.

* * *

Inside the Student barracks of the Jade Palace, Monkey, Viper, Crane and Mantis were sleeping peacefully within their rooms. Po and Tigress however, weren't in their rooms.

And as for Wei, he wasn't sleeping as peacefully as his friends. The white tiger lied in his bed. The faint, silver moonlight crept through his open window as the Demon Swordsman tossed and turned in his deep slumber. The brown blanket that was supposed to be covering his body and shielding him from the cold, night air was sprawled upon the floor boards by the side of Wei's bed.

Wei's black and white fur was drenched with sweat and his sharp, electric blue eyes were shut tight.

"No... No... Stop." He muttered as he turned his body again, he was now lying on his back.

* * *

_The ten year old Wei sat upon a wooden chair, before him stood a large wooden table. His fourteen year old brother Feng, sat opposite him. Feng had hit a growth spurt and was now 5 ft 7. He now had a defined muscular build, due to the daily training their father would give them. _

_Their father sat on the left hand side of the table, his muscular forearms rested atop the table. Their mother stood in front of a cooking pot, in her left paw she held a ladel which was buried in the content of the cooking pot. _

_Her arm moved in a circular motion as she stirred the content. The smell of her cooking filled the room and enticed the three white tigers sitting at the table. Finally, Feng grew impatient and let an irritated groan. _

_"Mom, hurry up! I'm starving over here." Moaned Feng. His father glared at him, a glint of annoyance shone in his obsidian eyes. _

_"Feng, stop moaning. Your mother will be finished soon." Feng rested his chin atop the table and released another a groan. The father rolled his eyes and turned his gaze from his oldest son. _

_Finally, after several minutes of waiting, she had finally finished the cooking. Wei's mother filled four bowls with soup and placed the ladel back inside the cooking pot. She then bent over and blew out the flame before she returned to her casual posture. _

_She grabbed the two of the bowl, turned around and approached the wooden table behind her. She set a bowl down in front of Wei and the other other in front of Feng. She turned around again and approached the wooden counter where she grabbed the final two bowls. _

_She returned to the table, she set the third bowl in front of her husband then she walked around the table to the right hand side and sat down. She placed the bowl of soup in front of her and they all dug in. _

_Once they had finished their dinner, Wei and Feng were sent to bed. The two brothers entered their room and climbed into their beds, as soon as Wei and Feng rested their heads against their pillows they both fell into a deep slumber. _

_The sound of their bedroom door being kicked down scared the two brothers from their sleep. Their eyes darted across the room where they saw their father standing in the doorway. _

_He wore his old armour, which consisted of a silver chest-plate, silver shoulder pads and silver guantlets. His katana, the weapon he proudly weilded back when he was an imperial army general, was sheathed within its black scabbard and strapped to the left of his waist. _

_He stared at his two son's with horror in his eyes. _

_"Dad what's wrong?" Asked Feng. _

_"The village is under attack, I need to get the two of you and your mother out of here right now!" _

_"W-What?" Asked Wei. Suddenly the sound of people screaming rang in his ears, Wei sat up from his bed, turned around and stared out of the window above his bed. Wei's eyelids spread further away from each other and his jaw fell. _

_Bandits were roaming the village, killing innocent villagers, throwing flaming torches at houses setting them ablaze. Wei's father marched into the room, he grabbed Wei's left wrist and Feng's right wrist firmly. _

_He then dragged his two sons out of their bedroom. Wei saw his mother standing by one of the windows, her eyes were puffy and bloodshot and tears ran down her cheeks as she stared at the horrific scene beyond the window. _

_"Ling, come on!" Ordered their father. Ling's head snapped in the direction of the voice of her husband. He stared into Ling's eyes, he could the fear inside of them. _

_"Wu, I'm scared." She said, her voice laced with horror. _

_"It's going to be alright. I'm getting you all out of here." Replied Wu softly, trying to comfort his wife. Ling nodded reluctantly and then she followed her husband and sons out of the house. _

_The four white tigers now stood outside of their house, they couldn't help but stare at the massacre before them. One of the bandits spotted the family. He was a coyote with a lanky build and a lean figure. His fur was rusty brown and it was stained red with the blood of the innocent. His beady, brown eyes were filled with bloodlust. _

_He wore a brown, armoured tunic and tattered black pants. In his right paw he held a two foot long sword. The coyote sprinted towards the Zhao family, tightening his grip on the handle of his sword. _

_Wu spotted the coyote closing in on them. He gritted and his face wrinkled in rage, a menacing growl echoed in his throat. Wu released his grip on his sons' wrists before his right paw firmly grasped onto the handle of his katana. _

_Wu unsheathed the weapon, he held out to his right and he grasped his left paw onto it too. The surrounding fires caused the three foot long blade glow. Wu dashed towards the charging coyote, once they were within range they both swung their weapons horizontally at each other. _

_With a clang and flying sparks the two clashed swords, their blades shook as they pushed against each other. Finally, Wu's mighty katanna sliced through the coyote's blade and with one horizontal swing, the coyote's head flew off of his shoulder and blood spewed from his neck._

_Wu's fur and armour were now stained with his opponent's blood. The coyote's severed head rolled nine feet away once it touched ground. _

_"HELP ME!" Cried a familiar. Wu's head snapped in the direction of the voice, to his horror he saw Feng being dragged away by a bandit. _

_Wu stepped forward, tightening his grip on his katana handle. He turned his gaze to his wife and youngest son. _

_"Take Wei and run away as fast as you can!" He ordered. _

_"No, we're not leaving you!" Ling argued. _

_"Don't worry about me, I'll save Feng and he and me will find you." Fresh tears streamed down Ling's cheek, she sniffled as her lips parted. _

_"I love you." She said. Wu's expression softened and he nodded. _

_"I love you too. Now go!" Ling grabbed Wei's right wrist tightly with her right paw. She then sprinted away from the village into the forest with Wei in hand. Wei's gaze shifted to village, the further away they got the smaller it seemed to get. _

_The sound of crunching snow and his mother's pants for breath filled the silence. They continued running, but Wei heard multiple footsteps coming their way. He gazed over his right shoulder and saw three bandits chasing them. _

_"Mom!" Exclaimed Wei. Ling gazed back and saw the bandits closing in on them. She forwarded her gaze and her eyes shifted in every direction. She then spotted a large rock petruding from the snow, she lead her son over to it and pushed him behind it before kneeling down in front of him. _

_Wei looked into his mothers puffy, bloodshot, electric blue eyes. Her fur stained with tears. _

_"Wei, I want to stay here. I'm going to lead those bad men away, understand?" Immediately Wei protested. _

_"What? No! Don't go. Please... I don't want to lose you." Said Wei, his voice cracked. A warm smile spread across Ling's muzzle, she lifted her right paw and she used her index finger and thumb to lift Wei's chin. _

_She leaned forward and planted her lips upon her son's forehead. She pulled away and looked into his eyes one last time. _

_"You're so handsome Wei. Mommy's big brave man." She said, her voice was now hoarse._

_Ling rose to her, she turned her body to her right and sprinted away as fast as she could. Wei turned his head to his left where he saw the three bandits, he quickly hid behind the rock and the bandits dashed past him. _

_Not long after he heard one of them yell "Got her!" Wei peaked his head from the rock and his eyes widened at the sight before him. At least sixteen feet away, two of the bandits held Ling down, the one on her right pinned down her right arm and leg while the one on her left pinned down her left arm and leg. _

_The third stood before her, glaring down at her. His lips curled into a menacing smirk. This bandit was a wolf with a muscular build and a lean figure. His grey fur was stained with blood. His eyes were brown and he wore a brown, leather, steel-studded belt and blood-stained, black pants. In his right paw he held a long dagger. _

_"You know, this one's pretty hot. Hold her down good boys." He ordered. Ling felt the two bandits tighten their grips on her and she saw the bandit in front of her drop to his knees. The bandit used his dagger to cut open her dress and she immediately knew what was going to happen. She violently squirmed, trying to get free. _

_"No! Get away! Please, don't do this!" She begged. The bandit merely let out a chuckle before he grasped onto his pants and pulled them down. The bandit positioned himself on top of her and Wei could only stand there watch in horror, as one by one the three bandits raped his mother before his very eyes. _

_Ling now laid in the snow, curled into a ball, she shook in fear and shock of what had just occured. The bandit released an evil chuckle and tightened his grip on the handle of his dagger. _

_He then raised it high, above his head. And then. He brought it down on her, an eerie shriek and the sickening sound of metal cutting through flesh echoed in Wei's ears. _

_He heard the bandits' footsteps crunching in the snow, the further away they got the quieter their footsteps got. Once he couldn't hear them anymore, Wei once again peaked his head over the rock and he stared at his mother. She lied motionless in the snow, a pool blood dilated around her person. _

_Wei's heart shattered, his vision became blurry as tears streamed down his cheeks. Wei collasped onto all fours and sobbed for what seemed like an eternity. Once Wei had pulled himself together he pulled himself to his feet, he turned his back on his mother's corpse and he slowly made his back to the village. _

_As Wei trudged through the snow, he saw a flickering light in the distance. He sped up his pace, he got closer and closer until the sight of his burning village came into his line of vision. _

_Wei crept into the village, buildings were still aflame and bandits still massacred the villagers. Wei stared in horror at the scene, his gaze then trailed to his left. _

_Standing sixteen away from him a large silhouette stood, holding his father's lifeless body by the throat. Fresh tears streamed down Wei's cheeks and burned his face. His lip quivered and his legs shook. The bandit glanced at Wei, he narrowed his red eyes into a glared and dropped Wu's body. _

_The silhouette slowly approached the cub. Wei remembered the searing, sharp pain the silhouetted inflicted upon him, he remembered his definition of evil and he remembered swearing vengeance on the silhouette. _

* * *

Wei's eyes snapped open, he sat up from his bed and he gasped for air. Wei's chest heaved as he tried to catch his breath, his fur was soaked with sweat. Finally, Wei calmed down and let out a sigh of relief.

Suddenly Wei felt something wet on his scarred eyes. Wei raised his left paw and gently placed it against his face. He lowered his paw away from his face and he saw blood on it. Once again his scars were bleeding, only much worse this time.

_"First these memories keep coming back, and now my scars keep bleeding. What's going on?" _


	16. Chapter 16: Advice

**Chapter 16: Advice**

The floorboards creeked as the firm feet tapped against them. Tigress slinked through the narrow hallway, her amber eyes glowed in the darkness. The sound of Master Monkey's snoring filled the silence.

Finally, she stopped dead in her tracks and turned body to her right, facing the rice paper door to her room. Tigress extended her right arm and slid the door open, revealing her room on the inside. She stepped into her room, sliding the rice paper door behind her closed, and then she approached her bed.

Tigress gripped the blanket with her right paw before pulling it up as she climbed into her soft, comfortable bed. Tigress released her grip on the blanket and let fall onto her person. The tiger exhaled nasally the memory of what occured only minutes ago flashed before her eyes.

* * *

_"Tigress, will you go on a date with me?!" Tigress' ears perked up immediately, her eyelids shrunk as a gasp escaped her lips. Did Po just ask her out on a date? No, he couldn't have. She must have heard him wrong. _

_Po's eyelids parted revealing his jade green eyes. His gaze met Tigress' he could see the shock upon her facial expression, Po's cheeks blushed beneath his white in embarrassment. A cold breeze blew between the two, a few petals floated gracefully as they were carried away by the wind. Silence fell upon them for a few minutes, finally Tigress' lips parted as she broke the silence. _

_"Po, what did you say?" She asked, making sure she heard him right. Po dipped his chin as he lowered his gaze to the ground at Tigress' feet. _

_"Um...Will you go on a date with me?" Po repeated. Tigress felt her heart melt, heat caressed her body as her cheeks blushed beneath her orange and black fur. For the first time in her life, she was at a loss for words. _

_Tigress thought in silence about Po's question, she wasn't quite sure why, but she actually wanted to go out with him. But she had to think logically about this, Tigress has never been on a date in her entire life, she wouldn't know what to do, what to say or anything. _

_Plus, Po was a really nice guy, she didn't want to disappoint him. As much as it saddened her, strangely, she was going to have to deny Po's request. Tigress' eyelids closed over her eyes as she inhaled and exhaled nasally. She opened her eyes and returned her gaze to the panda standing before her. _

_"Po... I'd love to." She uncontrollably. Tigress immediately realised what she just said. She mentally cursed herself, why did she agree? She doesn't know anything about dating. Po stood there, his eyes doubled in size and his mouth was agape. _

_His heart punched against his chest repeatedly, heat caressed his cheeks as they turned a rosey colour. _

_"R-Really?" Po stuttered. Tigress looked Po dead in the eye with the intention of saying no. But for some strange reason, she smiled uncontrollably and nodded her head. Tigress was beyond confused, she literally had no control over her own body. _

_"Oh... O-Okay. Umm... Tomorrow night then?" Po asked sheepishly. _

_"Alright." She said, once again not in control of her own words. Tigress then turned her body around and sauntered back to the Student Barracks, leaving the panda alone. _

* * *

Tigress lied on her back, her gaze fixated on the ceiling above her. The sound of feet tapping against the floorboards filled the silence. Tigress turned her head in the direction of her door. The footsteps got closer and louder, then they stopped outside of her bedroom door.

She heard the the rice paper door opposite hers slide open and then it was slid closed. The footsteps got further away and stopped once more, the sound of wood creaking and a sigh echoed past her ears. Po was now in his room, soon the sound of his quiet snores was all she heard.

Tigress returned her gaze to the ceiling, she stared at it for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, her eyelids became heavy, the feline let out a yawn as her eyelids slowly closed over her eyes and she was taken by the bonds of sleep.

The seconds turned into minutes and the minutes turned into hours. As the hours passed the moon began its descent and once it was gone, the sun slowly began to ascend. The pitch black sky slowly lit up as the sun rose to peak, then the once pitch black sky was now a brilliant shade of blue.

The sun's golden rays descended upon the Jade Palace, bathing the grand palace with warmth and light. The sunlight crept through one of the windows of the Student Barracks, the room behind the window belonged to Tigress.

The golden rays shone upon the feline's face and crawled between her eyelids. Tigress's eyes fluttered open but she immediately closed them again and raised right paw in front of her face to block out the light. Tigress sat up from her bed and stretched out her arms, she then let her arms flop to her sides before she gripped her blanket with her paw and yanked it off her body.

Tigress swung her legs over the edge of her bed and stood up from it. The sudden sound of the morning gong rang in her ears. Tigress approached her door and slid it open, she stepped into the hallway and averted her gaze to end of the hallway where Shifu stood with a straight posture and his arm behind his back.

"Good morning Master." They said in unison. Shifu's gaze darted towards the rice paper door opposite Tigress and next to Wei. Shifu rolled his blue eyes in annoyance before fixing his gaze on Wei.

"Wei, would you mind waking Po up for me please?" Shifu asked politely. Wei stepped over to the rice paper next to him and slid it open, Wei's eyes caught sight of the sleeping panda before him. Po was lying on the left of his body, his back facing the Demon Swordsman.

Wei approached Po, he extended his right paw and placed it on the panda's right shoulder. Wei gently shook him and said "Po, wake up."

Po merely moaned and shook off the tiger's paw, Wei inhaled and exhaled nasally. Then, an idea clicked inside his head, he lifted his right paw to chest level and his fingers tensed as he unsheathed his claws.

Wei placed his paw on the Po's shoulder and dug his claws into it. The pain snapped Po awake and the Dragon Warrior yelped in pain, Wei withdrew his paw and retracted his claws as Po sat up from his bed and clutched his shoulder with his left paw.

Po's head snapped in Wei's direction and he glared into the white tiger's eyes.

"What was that for?" Po demanded. Wei crossed his arms over his chest, his expression stern.

"You wouldn't wake up when I told you to." Wei explained. Po rubbed his shoulder and took his paw away from it. Po glanced at his paw, checking for blood but luckily Wei didn't squeeze hard enough to puncture the skin.

Wei turned his back on the panda and sauntered out of his room, Po gripped the blanket with his left paw and pulled it away from his lower body. He swung his legs over the edge and he stood up from his bed. The panda let out a yawn before he groggily hobbled out of his room.

Po now stood in the hallway, he turned his head to his right and his gaze darted down the hallway and he met Shifu's gaze. Shifu raised his right arm and he placed his fist against his lips before clearing his throat. Shifu lowered his arm and repostioned it behind his back.

"Alright everyone, you've all been working very hard lately. And as a treat, I'm giving all of you the day off from your training." Monkey, Mantis and Po all cheered. Viper and Crane both let out sighs of relief while Tigress and Wei remained silent.

Shifu turned his back on his students and strolled out of the barracks. As the warriors made their way towards the Dining Hall for breakfast, Viper was stopped by Tigress.

"Viper." Called Tigress. The snake stopped and averted her gaze to the feline standing behind her.

"What is it?" Viper asked softly.

"I need to talk to you in private." Said Tigress nervously. Viper noticed how nervous the feline looked, which was odd. Usually Tigress was the most confident out of the Five, never before had she seen Tigress nervous. Whatever it was she needed to talk about, it must have been serious.

Tigress' gaze darted towards the end of the hallway, once all the boys had disappeared around the corner the feline returned her gaze to snake. There was a brief moment of silence, Viper's lips parted as she broke the silence.

"So, what did you want to talk to me about?" Tigress dipped her chin and lowered her gaze. Viper noticed her cheeks were blushing, they were hard to see due to her orange fur but they were there.

"First, I want you to promise you won't tell anyone." Said Tigress. Viper noted the seriousness in her tone. She could tell this was very personal to Tigress, so she decided to make that promise.

"I won't tell a soul." Viper promised. Tigress inhaled and exhaled nasally before she raised her gaze and looked into the snake's blue eyes.

"Well, lately I've been feeling... weird." She said. Viper arched an eyebrow, not quite sure where Tigress was going with this.

"What do you 'weird'?" Asked Viper. Tigress lowered her gaze again.

"You see, everytime I'm around a certain someone, my heartbeat increases, I always feel warm and it feels like I have butterflies in my stomach. And for some reason he's always on my mind." Tigress explained. Viper's lips curled into a smirk, she knew exactly what was wrong. Tigress returned her gaze to snake and notice her smirk, Tigress cocked an eyebrow in confusion.

"What're you smiling at?" Tigress said, confused.

"I know what's wrong." Viper stated. Tigress's eyes widened slightly, she leaned her upper body forward and stared into Viper's eyes.

"What?"

"You're in love Tigress." Tigress' eyes widened even more and her upper body jerked back to its original position.

"W-What?" Tigress asked, making sure she heard her right.

"You're in love." Viper repeated. Tigress was beyond shocked, she couldn't be in love, she's a Kung Fu Master. But deep down, she knew it was true. Tigress stood in complete shock, her chest expanded and shrunk at a fast pace as her breathing sped up. Viper's smirk fell and her expression changed to concern.

"Tigress, are you alright?" Asked Viper, her tone of voice was laced with concern. Tigress pulled herself back to reality, her breathing returned to normal and she lowered her gaze to the snake before her.

"I-I'm fine. This is just a lot to take in." Viper slithered closer to her friend and gave her a comforting smile.

"I know. This is your first being in love and all, so it will be a little odd. But if you don't mind me asking, who is he?" Tigress tensed and turned away her gaze, not sure if she should tell her. Viper realised this was a very personal question, and she didn't blame for being a bit hesitant.

A blanket of silence fell upon the two females, it took several minutes before Tigress finally worked up the courage to tell her.

"Po." She said sheepishly.

"Oh." Replied Viper. Tigress noticed by her tone of voice that she didn't sound very surprised. Tigress returned her gaze to Viper and looked into her eyes.

"You don't sound surprised." Tigress pointed out.

"That's 'cause I'm not hun."

"Why?"

"Well, you've changed a lot since Po got her. You socialise more often, you're not as uptight and on several occassions we've seen your softer side." Tigress' lips parted to argue, but she couldn't find the words to protest so she closed her lips.

"That's not all." Said Tigress. Viper cocked in eyebrow in confusion.

"What do you mean?" Asked Viper curiously.

"Umm... Last night... Po sorta..." Her voice trailed off.

"He what?" Tigress cupped her paws together and played with her thumbs, another nervous gesture.

"He... asked me out on a date." She said. Viper's face lit and squealed with pride and joy.

"Oh my god! Did he really?" Tigress nodded her head.

"Well, what did you say?" Asked Viper impatiently. Tigress inhaled and exhaled nasally.

"This is the confusing part, I wanted to say no because I don't know anything about dating and I didn't want to disappoint him. But for some reason, I said yes. I literally had no control over myself."

"That was your heart talking Tigress?" Tigress cocked an eyebrow and stared at Viper in confusion.

"My heart? What're you talking about?"

"When someone is in love, their heart will want to be close to the one who has stolen their heart. Regardless of how much the mind protests." Silence fell upon the females once more, Viper could tell by her facial expression that Tigress was having a hard processing all of this. Finally, Tigress spoke up again.

"What should I do?" Viper's lips thinned into a warm smile.

"Stop fighting it and listen to your heart. " Viper simply said. Tigress lowered her gaze one more time and pondered Viper's words. The sound of Viper's voice pulled the tiger back to reality.

"Come on let's eat, and after breakfast you and I are going shopping." Said Viper as began to slither away.

_"Shopping? Shopping for what?"_ Tigress pondered. The feline then followed the snake to the Dining Hall where the others were waiting for them.

**And there's Chapter 16, guess what's going down in the next chapter. And sorry if this chapter isn't as good as the ones prior, I've been feeling really lazy today but I wanted to get this chapter up, so I haven't really given it my best effort. Anyway, stay tuned. **


	17. Chapter 17: The Date

**Chapter 17: The Date **

Beneath the blue hues of the morning sky, Tigress ambled through the village. Viper slithered beside her at her right; the heat from the sun enveloped the tigress' entire body, but not enough to make her sweat. Viper however, was uneffected by the heat due her being cold-blooded.

Tigress turned her gaze to the viper by her left, the sunlight gleamed off her green scales. Tigress' lips snapped open as she spoke to the snake.

"Viper, where are we going?" Tigress asked curiously. Viper turned her head in Tigress' direction and glanced up, meeting the feline's gaze.

"We're going to get you something to wear for your date with Po." Viper answered. Tigress cocked an eyebrow and her head tilted to the left.

"What's wrong with my current attire?" Asked Tigress as she lowered her gaze and stared at her clothes. Viper forwarded her gaze as her eyelids closed over her blue eyes, her lips compressed into a smile and she released an amused giggle. Viper opened her eyes and returned her gaze to Tigress.

"You can't wear that on a date, you need to wear something that brings out your beauty." Tigress forwarded her gaze, pondering Viper's words. There was silence between the feline and the snake, after wandering through the village for several minutes the sound of Viper's voice rang in Tigress' ears.

"We're here!" Viper announced. Tigress stared at the building before them, it was a large, white, stone building with a long, green, wooden sign hanging above the wooden door. The words "Mrs. Chang's Clothes Shop" were painted in yellow along the sign.

Viper slithered up to the door and used her tail to push it open, Viper entered the shop. Tigress inhaled nasally before she too stepped inside.

Tigress gazed sidelong across the interior of the shop. There was a bewildering array of different clothes, all different sizes, colours and styles. At the opposite end of the room, 10 feet away from them was a large, wooden counter.

Viper slithered towards the counter, Tigress close behind her. They stopped before the counter, the shop owner was nowhere in sight, there was a dark room behind the counter, opposite them.

"Um, hello?" Called Viper. The shuffling of footsteps caused Tigress' ears to perk up, a small silhouette with a hunched figure stood in the doorway. The silhouette stared at the tigress and the snake for a few brief moments before stepping forward into the light.

The black shroud that enveloped the silhouette's person disappeared, revealing the appearance of an elderly, female pig. Her face was severly wrinkled with age, she wore tiny, round glasses upon her squinty green eyes. Her attire consisted of a red robe with yellow trimmings and a black sash wrapped around her waist.

Her lips compressed as she smiled at the Masters. She waddled forward, towards a stool and hopped on top of it. She glanced at Tigress for a couple of seconds before she slowly bestowed her gaze upon Viper, she then bowed respectively to the Masters.

"Master Tigress, Master Viper, to what do I owe this honour?" She said formally.

"Hello Mrs. Chang," Replied Viper softly "Master Tigress here has a date, and she needs something nice to wear." Mrs. Chang returned to her hunched posture.

"Oh, who is the lucky man if you don't mind me asking?" Mrs. Chang asked as she returned her gaze to Tigress. Heat carassed the back of Tigress' neck and both of her cheeks.

"It's Po, the Dragon Warrior." Mrs. Chang raised both eyebrows in surprise. Her faded pink lips compressed as she smiled.

"Oh, you are a very lucky woman Master Tigress. Po is such a nice and caring young man." Said Mrs. Chang softly. A smile tugged at Tigress' lips and her expression softened.

"I know." She replied.

"So," Viper spoke up "What would you recommend Tigress wear?" Mrs. Chang's smiled grew wider.

"I know just the thing."

* * *

Po, Wei, Monkey, Crane and Mantis all sat at the table inside the Dining Hall within the Student Barrack. The sound of chatter and laughter filled the room, Wei leaned against his chair with his arms crossed over his chest. Amidst the chatter he noticed that there was one voice absent from the rest.

Wei's eyes darted across the table to the panda sitting opposite him, although Po's gaze was fixated on the table before him, his mind was miles away.

"Po, are you alright?" Asked Wei, there was a hint of concern in his voice. The sound of Wei's deep yet smooth voice caused Po's ears to perk up and the Dragon Warrior returned to reality.

Po lifted his gaze and looked into Wei's sharp, electric blue eyes. The panda blinked a couple of times and he met the Demon Swordman's gaze once more.

"W-What?"

"I said are you alright?" Wei repeated.

"Oh, I'm fine. Just a little nervous is all." Crane, Monkey and Mantis stared at the panda in confusion. Mantis took a few steps forward, Po noticed the bug's movement in the corner of his vision. He glanced at Mantis and met his gaze.

"Nervous about what?" Asked Mantis. Po's cheeks blushed beneath his white fur, he averted his gaze from the bug, avoiding eye contact.

"Well... I uh..." The word's Po attempted to say failed to escaped his lips.

"You what?" Asked Monkey. Po glanced at the simian, his paws became sweaty.

"I... sorta... Have a... Date." Po said. The room was filled with the gasps of Monkey, Crane and Mantis. Wei however, smirked and closed his eyes, as if he predicted this, which he did.

"Po... Did you just say you have a date?" Asked Mantis, making sure he heard correctly. Po nodded hesitantly, a blanket of silence fell upon the room. It took several minutes before one of the warriors could find the strength to speak up.

"Heh, wow Po," Crane's voice broke the silence "Congratulations, who's your date."

Those words caused the nervousness festering in Po's body to become more and more powerful. His entire body heated up and the rosey hues upon Po's cheeks grew brighter until everyone could see him blushing. The panda's paws were now drenched with sweat.

"Um... It's-It's Tigress." Monkey, Crane and Mantis stared at the panda in complete shock and disbelief, their jaws fell and their eyes bulged. Wei's expression however, was unchanged.

"D-Did you just say T-Tigress?" Asked Mantis in disbelief. Po's lips compressed into a nervous smile and he nodded his head. Crane's eyes rolled back into his head and he fainted, his chair lurched backwards and fell, taking the avian down with it. Crane's legs were now sticking up in the air.

"You managed to get a date with Tigress? _Our _Tigress?" Monkey asked.

"Yeah." Po simply said as he scratched the back of his neck with his right paw. Monkey and Mantis stared at Po in awe, once again the room was flooded with silence. Finally, the sound of Mantis' cheer shattered the silence.

"WOOHOO! Way to go Po!" Mantis cheered. Po cocked an eyebrow and his head tilted to the left slightly. Mantis approached the panda and hopped upon his right shoulder.

"I can't believe it! You got_ Tigress_ to go out with you, man she must have the hots for you or something." Po didn't say a word, mainly because he was surprised by Mantis sudden change in reaction.

"How did you do it?" Asked Monkey. Po glanced in the simian's direction, his gaze met Monkey's.

"Well, I just asked her and she said yes?" Monkey was taken back by the answer. He raised both eyebrows in surprise and stared at the Dragon Warrior.

"So, where do you plan on taking her?" Wei's voice pierced the panda's ears. He glanced at the white tiger sitting at the other end of the table. Wei's eyes were now open and his face had its usual stern expression upon it.

"I'm taking her out to dinner."

"Good luck with that." Said Wei.

* * *

Po spent the entire day in his room, planning his date with Tigress. This was the first date he had ever been on and he wanted it to be perfect, for him and Tigress. The sun then began its descent over the horizon, the glorious blue hues of the sky darkened until the sky was pitch black.

The moon was its highest peak, the silver orb emitted a faint glow. A multitude of stars littered the night sky above; within the Student Barracks Po stood at the end of the hallway of the bedroom area, clad in plain, black, silk shorts. Wei, Monkey, Mantis and Crane stood behind him, they all waited patiently for Tigress who was in her room with Viper, getting ready for her date with Po. The sound of an impatient groan filled the silence, everyone glanced at Mantis who was perched atop Monkey's left shoulder.

"Why does it always take women so long to get ready, I mean come on we've been standing here for 20 minutes!" Said Mantis impatiently.

Just then the rice paper door to Tigress' room slid open, everyone glanced down the hallway. Viper slithered out of the room and turned her head to her right, staring at the boys on the opposite end of the hallway.

"Is she ready?" Asked Po. Viper's lips compressed as she smiled, Tigress then emerged from her room. She was wearing a plain, red dress that draped down to her knees, atop her head, just above her left ear was a lotus flower. She was also wearing make-up, not too much of it though, only lipstick and blue eyeshadow.

The men stared at Tigress in awe, their mouths were agape and their eye had doubled in size. Po's heart bombarded against his chest, heat enveloped his entire body and his cheeks blushed beneath his fur, he could already feel his hands getting sweaty. Mantis whistled flirtatiously at her.

"Hubba Hubba." Said Monkey.

"W-Wow." Said Crane. Wei was speechless, he just stood there with an open mouth and bulged eyes. Tigress averted her gaze, her cheeks blushed beneath her orange fur, she wasn't used to this kind of treatment.

Po inhaled and exhaled nasally before he approached the feline, still awed by her beauty, she looked like a goddess. Po stopped before her, staring at her, Tigress felt a little uncomfortable.

"T-Tigress, you look amazing." Said Po uncontrollably. Tigress felt her heartbeat increase, heat caressed the back of her neck and both of her cheeks.

"Thank you Po, you look nice too." Po blushed at the comment. He then turned his body to his right, he extended his right arm out to his right in an inviting gesture.

"Shall we?" He asked. Tigress' lips compressed into smile and she nodded her head. She then passed him and the panda followed her out of the barracks. Po and Tigress then descended down the steps, Wei and the rest of the Furious Five stood atop the stairs, they watched as Po and Tigress got further down the stairs until they were completely gone from their sights.

* * *

Po and Tigress had finally reached the bottom of the steps together, the village streets were alight with laterns. Po led Tigress through the village, the citizens stared at the warriors in awe. Their gazes followed them as they strolled through the streets, Tigress once again felt uncomfortable.

They soon arrived at Mr. Ping's Noodle Shop, they stepped through the circular archway that served as the entrance and were now standing in the Dining Area. Mr. Ping, Po's adoptived father, stood by one of the small wooden tables. A single lit candle stood on the midst of the table.

Mr. Ping's beak formed a smile once the two warriors came into his line of vision. Po led Tigress to the table, he gripped one of the chairs with both paws and pulled it away from the table. Tigress smiled and sat down on the chair while Po approached the chair on the other side of the table, he grabbed his chair with both paws and pulled it away from the table.

Po sat down on his chair and scooted the closer to the table. Mr. Ping turned around and waddled towards the kitchen, Mr. Ping extended his right wing and he clutched the doorhandle before pulling it open.

Mr. Ping stepped inside the kitchen, closing the door behind him. Po and Tigress stared at each other in silence, Po couldn't help but notice how beautiful she looked. The moonlight reflected off her fur, making it appear almost glowing. And the dim candlelight shone upon her face, her red eyes glistened.

A gentle breeze blew past them causing the fire on the candle to sway and dance to Po's right and Tigress' left. The intoxicating aroma of Mr. Ping's cooking emerged from the kitchen window and crept up their nostrils.

Several minutes passed before the kitchen door swung open and Mr. Ping emerged from the building, his left wing was raised to shoulder level and upon his wing he held a metal tray.

Upon the tray were two bowls of Mr. Ping's Secret Ingredient Soup, a large bowl of freshly cooked dumplings, two empty cups and a teapot filled with tea. A cloak of white steam rose from the tray, it swayed, danced and dispersed.

Mr. Ping waddled over to the two warriors and placed the tray on the table gingerly.

"Enjoy!" Mr. Ping said before he turned around and waddled back towards the kitchen. Po and Tigress slowly devoured the secret ingridient soup, savouring the taste. Once they had finished they ate the dumplings next, finally they poured themselves some tea.

"You're father is a very good cook." Said Tigress, she raised the cup to her lips and took a sip of tea. She swallowed and felt the warm tea go down her throat.

"Heh, yeah." Replied Po. For several minutes, there was silence between the tigress and the panda bear. Finally, the sound of Tigress' harmonic voice broke the silence and caused Po's ears to perk up.

"Po," He glanced at Tigress and met her gaze "Why did you ask me out on this date?" Po felt his heartbeat increase at a rapid pace, his entire body burned up and his cheeks blushed.

"Umm..." His voice failed him, he still wasn't whether to reveal his feelings for her or not. He averted his gaze, avoiding eye contact. Tigress closed her eyes and let out a sigh, she opened her eyes and returned her gaze to the panda.

"I don't get why you'd ask _me_ of all people." Said Tigress. Po returned his gaze to the feline, he saw a hint of sadness in her eyes.

"Why wouldn't why?" Asked Po. Tigress dipped her chin and her gaze lowered to the table.

"Because I'm not like other women, before I came to the Jade Palace all the kids at Bao Gu Orphanage would call me a monster. And the sad thing is... It's true, I could never control my strength and I ended breaking things. Then Master Shifu came along and he taught how to control my strength, he then took me to the Jade Palace and taught me Kung Fu. But he never showed me any fatherly love, I knew it was because he was worried that I would turn out like Tai Lung, but it still would've nice if he had shown me that he cared." Po's heart broke at these words, he couldn't help but pity her.

"I don't know why I was given this kind of life. I guess in the end I really am a monster." Her voice cracked, she was fighting back tears. Po had never seen her like this before, it made his heart feel hollow.

"Tigress," He said, Tigress lifted her gaze so it met Po's. Po placed his right paw on Tigress' left paw and he looked deeply into her eyes.

"You're not a monster. People only called you that because they were scared of you, people get scared of things they don't understand. And Shifu does love, he may not show it but he loves like you're his own flesh and blood. And besides, you have Viper, Monkey, Crane, Mantis, Wei... And me Tigress. You'll always have me." Tigress stared into his jade green eyes. Suddenly her sorrow was completely flushed out, it was replaced by warmth and security. Her stomach felt like it was filled with butterflies and her cheeks she blushed beneath her fur. Her heart bombarded against her chest; she then realised that Po was right.

He had always been there for her, sure he annoyed her at times, but he had always made her feel happy. Something no one, not even the Five made her feel. Po was the only one who managed to break down the walls around her heart, he made her feel things she had never felt before, she loved him.

"Po..." She whispered.

"Tigress..." Po whispered back. Slowly their faces leaned closer towards each other, their eyes closed as their lips got closer and closer. Mr. Ping was witnessing the scene, he poked his head through the window and watched intently.

Po and Tigress' lips were only centremeters apart, when suddenly Tigress' left paw accidently knocked over Po's cup of tea causing the hot tea to pour onto Po's lap. The sudden burning pain caused the panda to pull away and hop off his chair.

"HOT HOT HOT HOT!" Po screamed as he danced around like a maniac. Tigress felt completely embarrassed, while Mr. Ping stared at the scene with his beak open and his eyes wide open.

_"OH COME ON!"_ The elderly goose screamed in his head. After several seconds the tea cooled down and the burning pain in Po's lap faded, leaving only an embarrassing stain on his shorts. Tigress shot up from her chair, she stared at Po with an apologetic expression upon her face.

"Po, I am so sorry!" She said sincerely. Po glanced at the tigress, a tower of steam rose from the tea stain on his lap. Po saw the glint of guilt in her eyes so he forced a smile and said.

"It's okay, don't worry about it. Worse things have happened to me." He said.

"Are you sure you're alright?" She asked. Po nodded in confirmation. Though the feeling of guilt had left her, the feeling of embarrassment was still there.

"It's getting late, we should probably get back to the palace." Po suggested. Tigress stared into the panda's eyes, she gave him a smile and nodded her in agreement.

"Alright." With that Po and Tigress exited the noodle shop and began their return to the Jade Palace. As they wondered through the latern-lit street, they couldn't help but think of what they were about to do. Where they about to kiss? And if so what would've happened if they had? There were so many questions running through their heads.

* * *

The night air was heavy, the sound of water brushing against the boat and the howling of the wind filled the silence. A thick fog cloaked the area around the river. Kira, Tai Lung and Shen had been along the river for what seemed like an eternity. Tai Lung grew impatient and he let out a groan, gaining the attention of the albino peacock and the armour-clad. Tai Lung rose to his feet and glared at Kira.

"We've been stuck in this blasted boat for god knows how long. Where are we going Kira?!" Tai Lung demanded. Kira turned his head to his right and glanced over his shoulder. Although he couldn't see his eyes beyond his faceplate, Tai Lung could tell Kira was staring at him.

"Ya know Tai Lung, I'm getting really tired of your complaining. We'll get to our destination when we get there, now sit down and shut the hell up or else you'll be swimming back to that cave of yours." Kira threatened. Tai Lung stared at the armoured warrior, his face wrinkled in anger as he let out a growl. Tai Lung collasped back onto his posterior and he folded his arms.

Kira forwarded his gaze and silence fell upon the villians. Shen stared at the armour-clad, curious about his appearance. He was also confused by his name, there was no way "Kira" was his real name, it was definately an alias. Shen opened his beak and broke the silence.

"Who are you?" He asked. Kira turned his head to his left and stared at the peacock over his shoulder.

"What do you mean? You know who I am." Kira replied. Shen narrowed his eyes.

"Do you take me for an imbecile? You hide your face with helmet and faceplate, yet you have no problem giving us your name. You're using an alias, you're trying to hide your true identity from us." Once again there was silence, after a few brief minutes passed the sound of Kira's chuckle shattered the silence.

"I'm impressed Shen, your intellect lives up to its reputation. You're right, my true name isn't Kira. When the Supreme Leader made me his apprentice I abandoned my original indentity and became Kira." He explained. Kira forwarded his gaze and admist the thick veil of the fog an enormous black, shadow formed.

Once the boat had emerged from the fog, Shen and Tai Lung's eyes bulged in surprise. At the end of the river was a gigantic fort, in the midst of the fort was 70 foot tall tower.

"W-What is this place?" Asked Shen.

"Sanctuary." Answered Kira.

**WAZZUP! Reaper here, sorry for the wait, College has been a pain in the ass. Anyway, sorry if this chapter sucked, romance isn't my specialty. I know Tigress was OOC in this chapter, but she was supposed to be. Anyway I'd love to stay and chat but a lot of people bet that Po and Tigress were going to become a couple on this date, and I've just conned those poor motherf*ckers HAHAHA I'm evil. Well, see ya, I'm going to roll around in the money I conned out of you people LOL!**


	18. Chapter 18: The Supreme Leader

**Chapter 18: The Supreme Leader **

Kira sauntered across the enormous courtyard within the walls of the fortress. Tai Lung walked beside him at his left and Shen at his right; multitudes of warriors roamed the courtyard. There also appeared to be small camps that were numbered in the thousands; as they closed in on the tower in the midst of the fortress, Tai Lung and Shen noticed that they were being followed by the gazes of the surrounding warriors.

Once they had reached the tower, they stopped before the enormous, wooden double doors which were both decorated with a black dragon painted vertically up the wood. Shen raised his head as his gaze trailed up the tower, his beak fell as he stared upon the peak of the tower which appeared almost invisible within the jet black sky.

As Shen lowered his gaze, Kira stepped forward and placed his gloved paws upon both doors and he pushed them open. An eerie creak rang in their ears and a freezing wind emerged from the tower's interior and blew against their figures. Goosebumps formed on the skin beneath Tai Lung's dirty fur and Shen's albino, ruffled feathers.

Kira stepped forward before his head turned to its right and he glanced over his right shoulder, gazing at the two villians and saying "Come on."

Kira forwarded his gaze and he stepped inside the tower, his person was instantly consumed by a thick cloak of shadows. Tai Lung and Shen both hesitated for a second before they relucantly followed Kira inside.

The interior of the tower consisted of a large, wide, square hall with a long red rug stretched across the floor and climbing up a large staircase. There were 10 support beams in the hall, 5 on the left hand side of the room and 5 on the right. Each support beam stood 9 feet away from the rug; the room was dimly by the flaming torches mounted amidst the wall. Kira ambled across the rug, Tai Lung and Shen followed.

Kira, Tai Lung and Shen ascended up the stairs; the sounds of their feet tapping against the marble steps echoed in the hall below. Atop the stairs were a pair of black, steel doors with a flaming mounted on either side of them.

Kira stepped forward and turned around facing the snow leopard and peacock, he stood with a straight posture and his arms folded behind his back.

"Alright you two, behind those doors is my master and my mentor. The Supreme Leader. When we enter that room you better the utmost respect or I'll kick your asses so hard you won't be able to tell which way is up. Do I make myself clear?!" Tai Lung and Shen both nodded.

Kira turned his back on the two and he approached the doors, he placed both paws upon the doors and he pushed them open. Kira's chest heaved as inhaled and exhaled nasally, the armour-clad then stepped into the room. Tai Lung and Shen quickly exhanged glances before they too entered the room.

The room was as cold as death and dark as a nightmare. Shen narrowed his red eyes in attempt to see beyond the darkness, but unfortunately his vision failed to pierce through the thick black cloak. Suddenly, a deep, commanding voice emerged from the darkness.

"Kira, I see you have returned." The voice said. Kira got down on his knees and lowered his upper body, he rested his forearms, paws and head upon the cold, marble floor.

"Yes Supreme Leader," He said "And I have brought you Tai Lung and Shen like you asked."

"Excellent." Said the Supreme Leader. Suddenly multiple flickering lights lit the room, startling the leopard and the peacock. The room was now faintly lit the mulitple flaming torches that were mounted amidst the walls.

While Tai Lung slowly gazed sidelong across the black wall on the left hand side of the room, Shen forwarded his gaze to a figure standing in the middle of the room. A blanket of darkness cloaked his face, only his body from the neck down was visible.

He stood with a straight, formal posture. His shoulders were broad and his body was very bulky and muscular. He was clad in an emerald green, silk robe with golden trimmings and a golden sash wrapped around his waist; his robe draped elegantly from his body.

Tai Lung forwarded his gaze to the bulky figure standing before them. Silence flooded the room for several minutes before Shen's voice caught their ears.

"Are you the Supreme Leader?" The peacock asked.

"I am." He answered. Tai Lung stepped forward, staring curiously at the Supreme Leader. Only two questions came to mind.

"Who are you? And what do you want with Shen and I?" The Supreme Leader's gaze turned to Tai Lung. The snow leopard could feel an aura of power and superiority radiating from the Supreme Leader's person, it sent a chill down his spine.

"The reason I had Kira bring you here, is because I need you two." He said. Tai Lung furrowed his eyebrows and Shen cocked an eyebrow. They both stared at the Supreme Leader in confusion.

"What do you mean you need us?" Asked Shen.

"Well, I have something big planned." The Supreme Leader returned his gaze to Tai Lung.

"Tai Lung, you are ferocious, fearless, you show no mercy and you are willing to do whatever it takes to get what you want. I need someone like you in my army." The Supreme Leader then fixated his gaze on Shen.

"And Shen, your intellect is unmatched. You've invented China's deadliest, and I want you to make them again for my army. Join me, serve your allegiance to me. And I will give your heart's desire." Silence fell upon the room once more as Tai Lung and Shen both thought in silence. Finally, after several silent minutes a voice spoke up, the voice of Tai Lung.

"I accept." Said the snow leopard.

"As do I... Supreme Leader." The Supreme Leader grinned within the darkness. His lips snapped apart as he spoke.

"And what do you desire?" Tai Lung stepped forward, the fires of hate and revenge burned within his good eye.

"I want the head of Po Ping." He hissed. His voice oozed with hatred.

"And who is _Po Ping_?" Kira pulled himself to his feet and straightened his posture. He glanced at the Supreme Leader as he answered his question.

"Po Ping is the Dragon Warrior my lord." The Supreme raised his chin as the name came to his memory.

"Ahhh, I remember now. Is that all?" Tai Lung shook his head.

"No. I want what is rightfully mine... The Dragon Warrior title!"

"Very well." The Supreme Leader's gaze returned to Shen, he noticed the glint of hunger in his eyes.

"And you Shen?" Shen's mangled leg stepped forward, the metal of his brace clanged as his foot firmly stomped upon the white marble floor. The glint of hunger in Shen's eyes grew brighter.

"I want China!" He said.

"Hmmm, not a bad request. Okay, when my plan is a sucess, China will be yours." Shen's beak curled into a sinister smirk. The Supreme stared at the two villains; their old selves had broken to the surface. Master Tai Lung the Ravaging Leopard and Lord Shen the Albino Destroyer have returned.

The Supreme Leader's smirk gleamed in the darkness; he averted his gaze to Kira, his lips parted as he spoke to armour-clad.

"Kira," He called. Kira's head immediately snapped in the Supreme Leader's direction as soon as his master's voice caught his ear.

"Yes, Supreme Leader?"

"Take Tai Lung and Shen outside to begin their training." He ordered. Kira bowed respectively to him and said "Yes, Supreme Leader."

Obeying the Supreme Leader's orders, Kira lead Tai Lung and Shen out of the room; the doors closed behind them as soon as they stepped through the doorway. The three descended down the stairs and marched across the hall.

Kira stopped abruptly before the doors causing Tai Lung and Shen to hault. Kira pushed the doors open with his paws and he stepped outside, Tai Lung and Shen followed.

Kira sauntered away from the tower with Tai Lung and Shen right behind him. Kira haulted abruptly once they were 20 feet away from the Supreme Leader's tower. He turned around facing the leopard and peacock.

"I hope you pansies are ready. Because this training is like nothing you've ever experienced." Kira warned. Tai Lung and Shen's faces remained stern and determined.

"We can handle it." Tai Lung said.

"Alright, but brace yourselves. Because the two of you are about to learn the _true_ meaning of suffering."


	19. Chapter 19: The Message

**Chapter 19: The Message **

For an entire month Tai Lung and Shen had endured the most horrendous, dreadful, atrocious, horrific, unspeakable training that any soul has ever had the displeasure of experiencing. But all the blood, sweat and broken bones were worth it in the end; for Tai Lung and Shen were now more powerful than they could've ever possibly imagined.

The still form of Tai Lung stands within the fortress courtyard, a group of 6 armed warrior encircled him. A strong breeze blew past the fortress; the wind carried a large grey cloud along the sky until it had covered the sun, blocking its light.

Without the bright rays of the sun the colors of the world below dulled down. Coldness enveloped the warriors, goosebumps formed on the skin beneath their furs. A coyote clad in a metal chest plate, a single metal shoulder guard upon his left shoulder and tattered brown pants stepped his left foot forward. In his left paw he wielded a rusty axe, the coyote swallowed hard as single sweat droplet slid down his brow.

His heartbeat increased at a rapid pace and his breathing became shaky. His grip on the axe handle tightened as he snarled at the leopard; Tai Lung's head turned to the right as his left eye focused on the coyote.

A battle cry blared from the coyote as he charged at Tai Lung, his left arm snapped forward while his right arm lifted the axe above his head.

His fast footsteps pounded against the cobblestone floor causing the sound of tapping to ring in his ears. The corner of Tai Lung's lip stretched into a sinister smirk as his fingers curled inwards.

The coyote had reached striking range quickly, the coyote halted and he bent his knees. The coyote leaped into the air and his left paw clutched the handle of his axe, as the coyote began descending the axe blade plummets to the top of Tai Lung's head.

Tai Lung's right paw balls into a tight fist as he pulls his arm back, Tai Lung thrusts his fist forward and the axe blade shattered into small metal fragments once it collided with the snow leopard's knuckles.

The metal fragments of the axe blade clattered onto the cobblestone as the coyote landed on the ground. He stares, wide eyed at the broke axe blade. His lips quiver and his arms shake in fear.

Tai Lung's lips snapped apart now leaving a toothy smirk. The coyote whimpers in fear as Tai Lung pulls arm back once more, the axe handle slides out of the coyote's paws and clatters upon the cobblestone.

With one thrust Tai Lung's fist shattered the coyote's snout, the bone was pushed into his brain thus killing him instantly. The sheer strength of Tai Lung's punch sent the coyote's carcass flying 20 feet away until it finally landed on the cobblestone and slid a few more feet leaving a trail of dust.

The heads of the watching warriors snapped in the direction where their comrade's corpse flew. They grimaced at the sight his battered body and their gazes snapped to Tai Lung who had straightened his back.

A boar clad in an armored kilt and black pants raises his diagonally positioned pike which he held with both hands. A crocodile clad in a metal chest plate, metal shoulder guards and burlap pants who also wielded a pike, positions the weapon to the right of his body with the tip of the pike head pointed at the snow leopard's still person. The boar copies the crocodile and they both sprint forward.

Tai Lung forwards his gaze to the crocodile, his head then turns to the left as he glances over his left shoulder to the in-coming boar. The boar and crocodile have both reached striking range, they thrust their pikes forward but Tai Lung bents his knees and jumps 10 feet into the air.

The sickening sound of metal piercing flesh echoed in the air, Tai Lung lands just 5 feet away from where the boar and the crocodile stand, his knees bend and his back lurches once his feet make contact with the cobblestone.

Tai Lung straightens his knees and back, his head then turns to the left as he gazes over his shoulder. The boar and the crocodile had impale each other with their pikes by mistake, the boar's pike had pierced through the crocodile's stomach and the tip of pike protruded from his lower back. The crocodile's pike had impaled the boar's chest, right where his heart lies.

Small streams of blood trickled down their bodies and onto the cobblestone, creating a dilating pool of blood. The crocodile and the boar collapse onto their knees and their carcasses fall to the crocodile's left and boars right. Their lifeless eyes stare at each other.

Tai Lung forwards his gaze and he stares upon the remaining 3 warriors. Their bodies quake with fear as Tai Lung's intimidating gaze sends chills down their spines.

The sound of swishing pierced Tai Lung's ears, his head jerks back as 3 silver knifes soar past his head from behind and penetrate the bodies of the remaining warriors. The 3 warriors drop their weapons, the sound of metal clanging and clattering against the cobblestone rings in Tai Lung's ears.

Tai Lung turns his feet around, the sight of a peacock with snow white feathers catches his eye. Tai Lung's nostrils expand as he exhales nasally, Shen stands 9 feet away from the snow leopard's still body.

His appearance had changed over the month, his once ruffled and dirty feathers are now clean and sleek. His current attire consists of a robe that is identical to his previous one, but the difference between the two is that the hues of his current robe are black instead of white. The metal brace that supported the bird's battered leg had been replaced by a shiny, golden one. Tai Lung's appearance had also changed too, his dirty and disordered fur is now clean and well groomed. His tattered and burnt purple sweatpants had been replaced by a pair of smooth, purple pants with vertical, golden dragons decorated up the sides of his legs.

Tai Lung narrows his left eye into a glare and his lips snap apart.

"I don't like it when you interfere with my sparring matches Shen!"

Shen's beak curls into a mischievous smirk as he releases a deep, smooth chuckle.

"My sincerest apologies Tai Lung, I was bored and it looked like you were having fun so I figured I'd join in." Shen said slyly.

Tai Lung rolls his left eye and his lip curls in annoyance.

* * *

Unbeknownst to the leopard and the peacock, or any of the fortress inhabitants for that matter, a hawk, clad in black sweatpants soars overhead in circles high above the fortress. The grey cloud that cloaked the sun passes and the sunlight returns to the world below.

The sunlight reflected off the brown hues of the hawk's feathers. His sharp brown eyes stare down upon the fortress below him, having just witnessed how Tai Lung and Shen butcher 6 of their own men. The hawk's beak curls disgust, he flaps his wings as his body halts.

The hawk turns his body around and flies away from the fortress without being noticed.

The hawk soars past large mountain overlooking the Supreme Leader's fortress. The sound of air rushing embraced his ears, his sharp gaze catches sight of a cave entrance half way up the mountain, a trail mountain trail zig zagged from the bottom of the mountain up to the cave entrance.

The hawk tilted his wings diagonally, his left wing points to the sky while his right wing points to the earth below. The direction of the hawk's flight changed so his body was facing the mountain.

The hawk closed his wings and dove headfirst towards the cave entrance, the air blew against his person, pinning his feathers to his skin. The hawk narrows his eyes to prevent the wind from burning his eyes.

Once the hawk was 10 feet above the cave entrance he spreads out his wings thus slowing him down. The hawk lands safely upon on the ground before the cave entrance, his wings close as he enters the cave.

The interior of the cave was ginormous and dome-shaped. Multitudes of warriors roam the cave and there are thousands of small camps. The interior of the cave was brightly lit by the flickering lights of the surrounding camp fires.

The hawk ambles past the numerous camps, his gaze remains forward as his sights are set upon the largest camp stationed at the very end of the cave.

The hawk has reached the large camp at the end of the cave, numerous small tents encircled a large, camp fire. The hawk stares upon the amber hues of the flickering flames, the fire's crackling echo in his ears.

The hawk gazes to the tent beyond the fire, it is the largest tent in the cave. The hawk maneuvers around the camp fire and he approaches the tent.

The hawk enters the tent to see a silhouette sitting behind a large, wooden desk with an array of maps upon it. A single oil lantern sits on the desk; the silhouette lifts his gaze to the still figure of the hawk.

The silhouette leans his upper body forward, the shadowy veil that cloaks his appearance receded as the amber light of the oil lantern embraced his body. The silhoutte is a white tiger, his eyes were round, like all felines his scleras are amber but his corneas are amethyst colored.

His jaw is masculine and his cheekbones are low. His most noticeable feature is the long diagonal scar on his right cheek. The tiger's lips compressed into a smile as his gaze became fixated on the hawk before him, the tiger's mouth opened.

"Ah, Xing." He said with a deep, husky voice. "You've returned, any news?"

Xing nodded his head in confirmation and he steps forward.

"Tai Lung and Shen are stronger now. Far stronger than a month ago." Xing said, his voice was high, yet smooth.

The tiger closes his eyes and his nostrils expand as he exhales nasally. He opens his eyes and returns his gaze to Xing.

"I was afraid of this." He said.

"Sir, what're we gonna do? None of us can hold our own against Tai Lung, Shen and Kira." The tiger places his elbows upon the desk and rests his chin in both paws.

"I don't know," The tiger closes his eyes once more as he thought deeply about their situation. Silence embraced the tent, only the crackling of the fire outside was heard. Suddenly, an idea flashes within the tiger's mind, he opens eyes again and returns his gaze to Xing.

"Maybe, we won't have to fight Kira, Shen and Tai Lung." Xing's eyebrows furrow in confusion.

"Sir?" Was all Xing replied with.

The tiger raises his head as his paws lower to the table, his lips compress into a smile.

"Xing, I have a very important task for you."

"What is it sir?" The tiger turns his head to the right as his gaze catches sight of a blank piece of paper, his left paw grabs the paper and he places it in front of him.

His head turns to the right to a brush that was still wet with black ink. His right paw grasps the handle of the brush and the tiger began writing on the paper. Once the tiger had finished he rolled the paper into the scroll and he stands up from his chair, the amber light of the oil lantern revealed his bulky figure. The tiger is wearing a blue tunic and brown sweatpants.

He steps around the table and approaches Xing, he stops abruptly before the hawk and extends his left arm, handing Xing the scroll. Xing takes the scroll with his right wing and holds it firmly.

"I want you to deliver this message to the Jade Palace in the Valley of Peace. Give it to someone, I don't care who, and come back immediately after you deliver the message."

"Yes sir!" Replied Xing.

The hawk turned his back on the tiger and walked out of the tent, leaving the tiger alone with his thoughts.

_"I pray this works." _


	20. Chapter 20: The Journey Begins

**Chapter 20: The Journey Begins**

The rain storms down relentlessly from the heavens, immersing the Valley of Peace in a thin, cloak of downpour. Thunder rumbles in the distance as a fork of lightning flashes in the night sky.

Wei stands atop the peach tree hill. His sharp, electric blue eyes glow in the darkness as they stare out into the night. Rain droplets cascade down Wei's face, soaking his black and white fur.

A headwind blows against his person, his black scarf flutters violently behind him. Wei's eyes squint as the wind blows rain droplets into his face. Coldness embraces the Demon Swordsman, goosebumps grow on the beneath his fur.

An abrupt roar of thunder pierces his ears, Wei remains still with his gaze forwarded. He ponders the events that have occured over the past month, every night, every time he falls asleep, the horrific memories of that day replay themselves in his nightmares.

This leads to him waking up in a cold sweat and the scars upon his face always appear to reopen. Wei's chest rises as his inhales nasally, the cold air stings his nostrils.

Wei exhales through his nose and tilts his chin downwards as his gaze falls to the wet grass at his feet.

The abrupt sound of wings flapping resounds the area, Wei tilts his chin upwards as he lifts his gaze to the sky. His eyes flick in all directions as he searches for source of the flapping.

Wei forwards his gaze and squints his eyes. Amidst the sheets of downpour a bird soars towards him, Wei's left foot slides across the soaked grass as his body turns a 180 degree angle. Preparing himself in case this is an attacker.

A flash of lightning cracks in the sky, the yellow light reveals the appearance of a hawk with brown feathers clad in black pants. He held something in his talons but the glow of the lightning faded as quickly as it came before Wei could get a good look at it.

Once the hawk had reached a 9 foot gap between him and Wei, he flaps his wings repeatedly causing an abrupt hault. The hawk slowly descends to the ground and closes his wings once his talon touch the wet grass.

The hawk tilts his piercing gaze upwards to Wei who stares back at him with an equally piercing gaze. The heavy rain pounding against the ground fills the silence as the hawk and tiger stare at each other. Finally, Wei's lips snap apart.

"Who are you? What do you want?" Wei demanded.

"Are you a master of the Jade Palace?" the hawk asked. Wei shook his head.

"I'm just a student."

"Oh." The hawk lowers gaze to the rolled up piece of paper held in his left talon. The hawk lifts his talon, grabbing the paper with his left wing delicately and lowering his talon back onto the ground.

He once more lifts his gaze to Wei, he outstretches his wing as he hands Wei the scroll. Wei's gaze flicks down to the scroll held in the hawk's wing, he narrows his eye and reluctantly takes the scroll.

The fingers of Wei's right paw curl around the top roll of the scroll with his left paw holds the bottom. Wei pulls seperates the rolls as he opens the scroll, he lifts the scroll to face level and bends his elbows slightly to get a closer look.

Wei's eyes snap side to side as he reads the content of the scroll. He lowers his arms and returns his gaze to hawk, only to find that he had completely disappeared.

Lightning flashes and thunder booms concurrently, Wei rolls paper back into a scroll and lowers his arms to his sides. Wei holds the scroll in his left paw gingerly, he turns his feet around and strides back to the Jade Palace.

* * *

Laughter blares out within the walls of the Dining Hall, Masters Monkey, Crane, Mantis and Viper were laughing hysterically while Tigress sits still on her stool with her lips compressed into a small smile.

Monkey raises his left paw to his face, jutting his index he wipes away a tear and forces himself to stop laughing. His gaze flicks to Po, a smile tugging at his lips.

"Po, did you really do that?" He asked, trying his best to contain his laughter. Po's lips compress into his signature goofy smile as he nods his head in confirmation.

"How did your father react to it?" Asked Viper. Po's jade corneas drift to the corners of his eyes as his gaze locks on the green snake.

"He grounded me for 2 months. But It was worth it!"

"I bet." Said Crane.

The shuffling of footsteps resounds the backs, the small form of Grandmaster Shifu appears amidst the darkness behind the doorway. Shifu steps inside the Dining Hall, his appearance immediately brightened by the amber lights of the surrounding candles.

All eyes fell open the aged red panda; more shuffling fills the silence. They got louder and closer until Wei appeared in the doorway, he too steps inside and is embraced by the amber hue of the candlelights.

Tigress narrows her eyes at Shifu, although his expression was stern, she could see a glint of horror and shock within his blue eyes. Her gaze lowers to Shifu's left paw, gripped tightly in his tiny paw was a scroll. She lifts her gaze to Shifu's face and her lips snap apart.

"Is something wrong Master?" She asked. Shifu's gaze flicks to Tigress.

"Yes, Wei has just received a message from an unknown hawk. According this message... Tai Lung and Shen are alive." Gasps resounded, and then silence embraces the room.

"T-That's impossible." Said Crane, breaking the silence.

"Yeah, Po defeated Tai Lung and Shen." Mantis added. Shifu's gaze fell to the floorboards and a sigh escapes his lips.

"I know it's hard to believe, but according to the message a snow leopard and a peacock fit their descriptions perfectly." Silence once again floods the room as the masters allow Shifu's words to sink in. Once several minutes had past Shifu lifts his gaze to the shocked faces of his students, his lips snap open as he breaks the silence.

"This is shocking news to all of you, I know. But if there is the _slight_ chance that Tai Lung and Shen have returned, then all of China is in danger."

"So what do we do?" Asked Po. Shifu's gaze snaps to the Dragon Warrior, his expression remains stern.

"We must journey to the Highlands to investigate." Shifu responded.

"The _Highlands_?" Tigress blurted. Shifu nods his head in confirmation.

"Isn't that where the Imperial Army battled the Mongolians 24 years ago?" Asked Crane.

"Correct." Shifu confirmed. Wei's ears perk up once he heard the words "Imperial Army" and "Mongolians".

_"Imperials versus Mongolians in the Highlands? My father was in that battle before he_ retired!"

"Everyone," Shifu's stern voice calls out, gaining the attention of his students "Hurry up and begin packing, we leave in 10 minutes."

With that, Shifu turns his feet around and walks out of the Dining Hall. Po and the Furious Five all rose from their seats before exiting the Dining Hall and strolling to their rooms to pack.

* * *

Shifu, Po, Wei and the Furious Five stand atop the thousand steps of the Jade Mountain. The rain showered onto their figures, drenching them.

A fork of lightning flashes amid the night sky and the roar of thunder resounded the entire valley. The 8 warriors begin their descent down the steps, their journey has begun.

**Okay, there you go. Not my best chapter I know, I promise I'll try and do better next time. So anyway, do you think the gang will defeat Kira, Tai Lung, Shen and the Supreme Leader? More so, who do you think the Supreme Leader and Kira are? I'd love to hear your theories. Anyway, stay tuned!**


	21. Chapter 21: Predators in the Snow

**Chapter 21: Predators in the Snow **

A ferocious blizzard storms against the mountain tops, its ghostly howl echoes within the atmosphere. 8 figures trudge along a mountain trail which is blanketed in snow.

Snow crunches beneath their feet as the 8 warriors push through the thick, white deluge. Shifu treads ahead of the group, the powerful blizzard blows against his small figure, coating his fur with snow. The brown cloak he wears to keep him warm flutters violently in the wind.

Shifu's eyes remain narrow and his gaze forward. The red panda's neck twists to the right as his gaze darts over his right shoulder.

His students all appear to be affected by the snow, especially Master Viper who is cold-blooded due to being a reptile. Tigress holds Viper close to her body in attempt to keep her warm, but the snake shivers and quakes violently within the tigress' arms.

Tigress tilts her chin downwards as she bestows her gaze upon Viper, her face forms a concerned expression at the sight of her friend's condition. Tigress lifts her gaze to Shifu who stares back at the feline. Tigress inhales nasally, the cold air burns her nostrils; finally her lips snap apart and her voices resounds the atmosphere.

"Master! We must find somewhere to make camp. I don't think Viper is going to last much longer in these temperatures." Shifu nods his head in agreement. He forwards his gaze and his eyes squint as he attempts to see beyond the blizzard's thick veil.

But unfortunately his vision failed to spot a good camping area. Shifu exhales irritantly, the cold, dry air made his breath visible. Shifu quickens his pace as does his students, they soon reach the end of the mountain trail and stand before a vast wasteland of snow.

Wei's eyes shifts in direction until the sight of a small cave entrance at the bottom of a mountain comes into his line of vision. The cave entrance stands approximately 20 feet away from the gang.

Wei extends his left arm in the direction of the cave and juts his index at the cave.

"Over there." Wei announces, gaining the attention of his comrades.

All eyes fall upon Wei, they then see that he is pointing at something. Their gazes follow the direction where Wei's arm is pointing, at first they saw nothing but the blizzard.

They squint their eyes and then, they saw it. Amidst the relentless winds they saw the cave entrance. Without a second thought they lumber towards the cave entrance.

The cave's interior was rather small and nondescript. The warriors set their bags down and prepare to make camp; Wei and Viper begin to build a campfire while the others take out their blankets.

Once Wei and Viper had finished the campfire, Wei raises his left paw to face level and curls his middle, ring and pinky fingers along with his thumb with the index finger remaining pointed.

A sharp, black claw protrudes from the tip of his index finger. He scrapes his claw against the granite ground creating sparks, the sparks pounce upon the sticks, igniting them. A small but warm campfire flares to life, its amber hues embrace the interior of the cave.

Viper slithers closer to fire, she lets out a pleasant sigh as the heat from the flickering flames caresses her body. Wei rises to usual straight posture and turns his feet around, he approaches his bag and bends down to open.

Wei pulls out a brown blanket and lays it on the ground, he runs his paws along the fabric to spread out the blanket. He lies down on the blanket and stares up at the granite ceiling.

Wei's chest expands and contracts as inhales and exhales through his nose. Slowly he begins to feel the shackles of sleep restrain him. Wei's eyelids close over his eyes and the white tiger falls into a deep slumber.

* * *

Minutes turned into the hours, 7 of the warriors have fallen asleep. The only who remains awake is Shifu himself, the aged red panda sits silently with his legs crossed. Listening to the blizzard's creepy moans.

An abrupt stirring occurs in the corner of Shifu's vision. The Grandmaster turns his neck to the left to see Wei tossing and turning in his sleep. The tiger's muttering was barely audible; Shifu notices sweat droplets streaking down the Demon Swordman's brow.

Wei's body rolls onto its back while his face creases, his sleeping expression was a mixture of devastation, agony and rage. Suddenly, the claws in Wei's paws unsheathe themselves from his fingertips, Wei's left arm unconsciously glides towards his face.

Shifu cocks an eyebrow in confusion, Wei places the tips of claws upon his scars and swipes downwards, causing his scars to reopen. Shifu flinches in shock before he jumps to feet and hurries over to the sleeping siberian tiger.

Shifu kneels down by Wei's left, he places his left right paw on Wei's chest and gently shakes his body.

"Wei, wake up." He whispers. The sound of his master's voice drifted past Wei's ears causing them to twitch slightly. Wei's sharp, blue eyes flutter open to blurry image of Shifu.

He blinks twice and his vision clears; Shifu withdraws his paw from Wei's chest as the white Siberian sits up from his blanket. Wei rubs his fists into his eyes, he then feels a wet sensation on his left eye.

He pulls his fists away from eyes and his gaze flicks to his left paw, the fur is stained with blood. Wei grits his teeth and growls in irritation, he wipes the blood from his eye and presses his paw against his scars to prevent further bleeding.

He neck turns ever so slightly to the left and Shifu comes into his line of vision.

"Master, is everything alright?" Wei asks.

"I should be asking _you _that question Wei." Replied Shifu. Wei knew he was referring to his bleeding scars.

"Well, I'm not sure why. But every night for the past month my scars keep reopening for some reason." Shifu's left paw strokes his beard as the Grandmaster stares at the Demon Swordsman in confusion.

_"It appears Wei is completely oblivious to what he's been doing." _

"Wei, your scars are not opening by themselves. _You _are the reason they keep reopening." Wei furrows his eyebrows in confusion.

"Master?"

"I just witnessed you cut open those scars in your sleep." Wei raises both eyebrows and his eyes bulge in shock.

"W-What do you mean?" Wei uttered.

"I mean, you've been cutting your scars open in your sleep." Wei turns his gaze away from Shifu, his face etched with disbelief.

"That's impossible though." Wei muttered. Shifu raises his right paw and cups his chin with his index finger and thumb. He ponders silently about Wei's unusual sleep self-harming. Suddenly, an idea clicks inside his mind. Shifu's lips snap apart and his voice emerges from his throat.

"I think I know the problem." Said Shifu. Wei's corneas flick to the side of his eyes, returning his gaze to Shifu.

"Elaborate."

"Well, I heard that when someone experiences a tragic event, the memory of said event begins to haunt them in their sleep. And sometimes, that individual will perform an action that they remember from the event." Wei once again pulls his gaze away from the red panda. He tilts his chin downwards as he lowers his gaze to the ground.

"Wei, I'm going assume that the day you got those scars was very traumatizing for you. This is causing you to unconsciously cut open your scars." Wei closes his eyes, the images of that day flash within his mind, his village massacred, his mother defiled and killed before his very eyes, his father's corpse in the paws of that red-eyed silhouette. And his definition of evil.

_"Evil, is a matter of perspective."_

Wei slowly opens his eyes, he turns his gaze to Shifu. The red panda sees the sorrow in the white tiger's eyes, Wei's lips open.

"The day these scars were inflicted on me... Is a day that will haunt the rest of my life." Shifu felt nothing but pity for the Demon Swordsman. He gently places his right paw on Wei's left shoulder.

"When you feel you are ready to speak of your past to us, know that we will be there for you." Shifu assured. His tone was comforting, almost fatherly. Wei's lips snap apart, but before his voice could leave his throat- both Wei and Shifu heard something amongst the blizzard.

Their heads flick towards the cave entrance, they both narrow their eyes.

"Did you hear that?" Asked Shifu.

"Yes, we have company." Wei grabs his sheathed katana with his left paw and rises to his feet. He ties the weapon to the left of his waist while Shifu wakes up the others.

"Everyone wake up!" Several groans resound cave as the Dragon Warrior and the Furious Five awaken. The 6 warriors pulls themselves to their feet and all eyes fall upon Shifu.

"Master Shifu? What's the matter?" Asked Monkey groggily.

"Prepare yourselves. There are enemies nearby." Those words caused them to fully awaken. Shifu turns his back on his students and marches out of the cave, his students follow him.

Shifu halts several paces away from the cave entrance as does his students. Their eyes scan the area, but all they see is the blizzard and the blanket of snow at their feet.

Shifu's eyelids close, he attempts to use his ears to track down the location of their enemies. But the blizzard's thunderous roar echoes in the atmosphere.

Then suddenly, an abrupt sound within the snow causes Shifu's ears to twitch. His head snaps in Po's direction, his lips snap open and he calls out to the Dragon Warrior.

"Po behind you!" Before the panda could react, snow exploded several feet behind Po and a wolf with snow white fur, clad in a white uniform, wielding a sword in his right paw pounces towards the panda.

Po didn't have time to react, he shut his eyes tight and braces himself. But an abrupt clang pierces the Dragon Warrior's ears. Po forced open his right eye to see Wei standing in the gap between Po and the white wolf.

Wei held his katana horizontally above his head with both paws. The white wolf's blade is vertically positioned against Wei's blade; he pushes as hard as he can but Wei's strength is more superior.

Wei pulls his knee back against his stomach, he thrusts his leg forward and his foot collides with the wolf's chest. The wolf grunts in pain as the force of Wei's kick sends him flying several feet away.

The wolf crashes into a thick pile of snow, he recovers quickly and pulls himself to his feet. The wolf snarls at Wei, a growl crawls through his gritted teeth.

The white wolf connects the index finger and thumb of his right paw and lifts his arm. He inserts his joint fingers between his lips and a whistle resounds the area.

10 more white wolves explode out of the snow, all clad in the same uniform as the alpha. One more creature pops out of the snow, but it wasn't a wolf, it was a vulture clad in puffy, blue pants. The vulture spreads out his wings, he flaps them several times before he was able to hover above the snow.

The vulture soars away and disappears in the blizzard. The alpha wolf then sprints towards Wei, he tightens his grip on the sword handle as he stretches his arm out to the side. The alpha closes in on Wei, and once he had reached striking range, he swings arm horizontally at the white Siberian.

Wei ducks down as the blade of the wolf's sword glides over his head, Wei jerks his body up as he swings his katana diagonally at the alpha. Blood spews into the snow, the alpha bellows in agony as a deep, crimson cut forms on his body, starting at the left of his waist up to his right shoulder.

The sword in the white wolf's paw slips from his loosened grip and drops into the snow. The alpha's body lurches forward and collapses onto the ground, the snow at Wei's feet turns crimson.

A beta wolf swings his axe numerous times at Monkey, the primate skillfully dodges the wolf's clumsy swings. He stealthy wraps his tail around the wolf's left ankle and jerks it back, the wolf's leg is pulled forward causing him to fall on his back.

Monkey unwraps his tail and lands a swift chop to the beta's throat, knocking him out instantly. Two wolves stand before Mantis, one wields a axe in his left paw while the second wields a pike in both paws.

The axe wielding wolf chuckles at the sight of his tiny opponent. Mantis' antennae twitch in annoyance. Mantis lunges at the axe wielding wolf, he extends two of his feet forward, landing a powerful kick to the wolf's snout.

The wolf drops his axe and his body collapses backwards into the snow. Mantis turns his gaze to the pike wielding wolf and gives him an intimidating glare. The pike wielder whimpers as his legs shake in fear.

Mantis lunges towards the wolf, once he was within striking range, he thrusts his foreleg forward. Striking the wolf in the chest, a blue pulse travels around the wolf's body from where Mantis' claw touched his body.

The wolf drops his pike and his body lurches backwards and falls on his back into the snow paralyzed. Mantis had struck him with a nerve attack.

Tigress stands still, encircled by 3 sword wielding wolves. The 3 wolves charge towards Tigress at the same time, the feline merely smirks as the 3 white wolves close in on her.

The wolves are now within striking range, Tigress flips her body and forces her paws into the snow and is now doing a handstand. Tigress spreads out her legs and spins her body around, hitting all 3 wolves in the face. The wolves lose consciousness and instantly collapse into the snow.

One of the white wolves managed to sneak into the cave where Viper lies, next to the campfire and completely defenseless. Viper spots the wolf in the corner of her vision, her eyes flick in the wolf's direction.

Viper's eyes bulge and her mouth falls agape, the wolf's lips curl into a sinister smirk, exposing his white teeth. In his right paw he holds a dagger, he lifts and bends his right arm so that the dagger was level with the side of his head.

The wolf stalks towards Viper, the snake wanted to defend herself but the temperature is too low for her to do anything. Suddenly, a pair of talons grab the white wolf's shoulders and drags him out of the cave, causing him to drop his dagger.

The wolf finds himself being lifted high into the air, he tilts his chin upwards to see Crane. Crane halts his ascension and performs a series of flips in mid-air, he then releases his grip on the wolf.

The wolf's screams of fear pierces the avian's ears as he is thrown away and disappears in the blizzard. Crane descends to the earth below, he closes his wing once he feels the snow between his toes.

He turns his neck to the right and glances back at his comrades who have just defeated the remaining wolves. Wei looms over the bodies; his arms folded over his chest and his jet black scarf dances gracefully in the wind.

"Who are these guys?" Asked Mantis as he hops atop Wei's right shoulder.

"I don't know. But more importantly, why did they attack us?"

* * *

The vulture soared through the sky for what felt like hours, he spots the Supreme Leader's fortress in the distance, he flaps his wings to increase his speed.

Finally, the vulture had arrived at the fortress, he soars towards the Supreme Leader's tower where he glides through the enormous window with the Supreme Leader's throne room on the other side.

The vulture flaps his wings to slow himself down, he then descends to the marble floor. The vulture bows in the presence of his master, his tilts his beak upwards and he meets the Supreme Leader's gaze.

"What brings you here?" Asked the Supreme Leader.

"My lord, The Dragon Warrior along with the Furious Five and Grandmaster Shifu are on their way here." The vulture informed.

"Is that so?" Silence embraces the throne room as the Supreme Leader ponders his next move, then an idea came into his head.

"Kira! Tai Lung! Shen!" He calls. In mere seconds the enormous double doors burst open, Kira along with Tai Lung and Shen enter the throne room.

"Yes Supreme Leader?" They ask in unison.

"It appears the Dragon Warrior, the Furious Five and Master Shifu are on their way to the Highlands. I would like you to meet them before they get here and give them a... _Welcoming Party_."

Tai Lung and Shen both grin at the Supreme Leader's orders, at last they can get their revenge on the panda and the others. All three of the warriors chuckle before speaking in unison once more.

"Yes, Supreme Leader."

To be continued


	22. Chapter 22: Brutal Beatdown

**Chapter 22: Brutal Beatdown **

The Jade Palace warriors saunter along a cobblestone path that cuts through a wide, green field. Enormous, thick storm clouds cover the moon, darkening the green hues of the surrounding grass and trees.

Rain storms down upon the warriors, soaking their bodies. Wei ambles behind Shifu, who leads the group across the road. Wei's gaze was locked on the cobblestone road; lightning flashes within the clouds above and the monsterous roar of thunder rings in his ears.

Rain droplets streak down his wet face as the rain continues to shower onto his person. Wei's clothes had been drenched by the downpour and are now sticking to his body, but Wei didn't appear to be bothered by it.

Wei twists his neck to left, his eyes darts over his left his shoulder as his gaze locks on Tigress and Po. The panda and the tigress had been walking side-by-side the entire journey, but neither had said a word to each other.

They would often steal glances at each other without the other noticing, on several occassions they would meet each other's gaze and quickly look away blushing.

Everyone knows that Po and Tigress like each other, but they appear oblivious to each other's feelings. Wei forwards his gaze as another flash of lightning illuminates the surrounding area.

"Master Shifu," Mantis' voice calls out, breaking the silence. Shifu's neck turns to the right, he gazes back at the bug perched atop Monkey's soaked shoulder.

"What is it Mantis?" Shifu asks.

"How much longer until we reach the Highlands." Shifu forwards his gaze, he tilts his chin upwards ever so slightly as he stares at the group of mountains in the distance.

"We are already in the Highlands. We crossed the border to the Highlands two and a half hours ago." Shifu explained.

"If that is true, then where are we going?" Asked Tigress.

"According to the letter we are looking for a fortress at the foot of the tallest mountain." Shifu's gaze locks on the tallest mountain he can see. Which doesn't appear to be too far away, maybe another two miles.

The warriors continue their journey to the mountains; not changing the speed of their pace or breaking their strides.

The mountains appeared to increase in size the closer they got; suddenly Shifu halts abruptly. His students notice the red panda had stopped and they too stop, all eyes stare at Shifu's small figure in confusion.

"Is something Master?" Asked Wei. Thunder bellows above, echoing within the night. Shifu's left ear twitches; there is another sound amidst the darkness. But the heavy downpour drowns out the sound.

Shifu closes his eyelids to heighten his hearing. Then, he heard it. There is another sound, almost like something sharp cutting through the wind, the sound was getting closer at a great speed.

Shifu's eyelids snap apart, his blue eyes flick in all directions. A sudden flash of lightning lights up the area, Shifu spots something shiny in the corner of his vision. His body twists to the left.

A shiny, silver, feather-shaped knife soars towards him. Shifu's face creases, he leans his upper body to the left as the knife soars past his small person. Shifu regains his original posture, he tilts his chin downwards and glares in the direction where the knife came from.

"Show yourself!" He demanded. A cry echoes past Shifu's large ears, it sounded like the cry of a bird. But not just any bird - a peacock.

The cry however did not come from the direction Shifu is currently facing. It sounded like it came from above. Shifu's gaze snaps upwards; soaring in circles above them was a the silhouette of a peacock.

The peacock descends gracefully to the ground below; a clang rings in their ears as the peacock's feet touch the cobblestone road. Shifu's eyes narrow, making his glare more intimidating. A few brief moments past; Shifu's lips snap apart as his voice breaks the silence.

"So it's true, you are alive," Lightning flashes and thunder rumbles concurrently. The white light of the aburpt flash reveals the slim, short figure of a peacock with drenched - snow white feathers and evil red eyes.

"Shen!" Said Po. Shen's appearance has slightly changed since their encounter, first of all he is clad in a black version of the robes he wore when they had defeated him, and his leg - his leg was a mangled, deformed mess sealed within a golden brace.

The light fades as the word is once again dark. Shen's beak curls into a menacing smirk and a cackle echoes in his throat. Shen's beak opens and his sinister voice resounds the atmosphere.

"It's been a long time everyone. How have you all been? Especially you panda." He said sarcastically. The warriors assume their fighting stances.

"Now, Now." Said a familiar voice. The warriors all glance to the left, a snow leopard clad in a pair of smooth, purple pants with golden dragons decorated up the side of the legs steps out of the shadows. His most noticeable feature is that the entire right side of his face is burnt and deformed.

"Tai Lung?" Asked Po. The snow leopard nods his head in confirmation.

"Wow. What happened to you?" Asked Crane. Referring to the deformed half of Tai Lung's face. Tai Lung tilts his chin downwards, his lips curls in anger as he lets out a deep growl.

"Easy there Tai Lung." Said another, unfamiliar voice. The warriors forward their gazes, another warrior emerges from the shadows.

This warrior's height and build are similar to Wei; he wears black armour which consists of a black metal chest plate, black metal shoulder guards and black metal greaves. Upon his paws he wears black leather gloves, and white bandages wrapped around his upper arms and legs. He wears a black metal helmet and a black face plate which conceals his face.

Strapped to the left of his waist is a golden hilted sword sheathed within a black scabbard. Tai Lung's neck turns to the right, he gaze locks on the armored warrior.

"Ah, there you are Kira. We thought you had gotten lost." Said Tai Lung. The warrior known as "Kira" places his gloved paws on his hips.

"You wish." He scoffed. Kira bestows his gaze upon the warriors before him.

"Well, well, well. Po the Dragon Warrior, Grandmaster Shifu, the Furious Five and - I'm sorry who're you?" Asked Kira glancing at Wei.

"My name is Wei Zhao." He answered.

"Zhao huh? Zhao, Zhao... Where have I heard that name before?" Kira cups the bottom of his face plate with the index finger and thumb of his right paw. The armored warrior paces left and right, repeating Wei's last name over and over again.

Suddenly, Kira halts abruptly. His head jerks up and he snaps his fingers, indicating that he remembers the name. He turns his feet, facing the direction of the warriors, he stretches his right arm forward and points his index finger at Wei.

"You wouldn't happen to be related to anyone called _Feng Zhao_ by any chance would you?" Wei's ears perk once he hears that name, he flinches and stares wide eyed at Kira.

"F-Feng? You know my brother?" Po, Shifu and the Five all glance at Wei. His expression unreadable.

Kira lowers his arm and chuckles.

"Yeah, I know him. I killed your brother ten years ago!" Wei's eyes grow wider and his mouth falls agape. His world begins to crack and collapse.

"W-W-What?" He asked. Praying that he misheard Kira.

"You heard me. I killed him. Sliced his head clean off, he cried like a little cub." Kira laughs to himself, obviously pleased by what he had done. Wei lowers his head, he grits his teeth and clenches his fists. Silence embraces the atmosphere, Wei was giving off an aura of grief and anger.

Po steps closer to his friend. A concerned expression etched on his face.

"Wei...?" Wei's head jerks upwards, he glares dangerously at Kira. His entire face was creased in anger, his pupils had become slits. He releases an extraordinary roar that sent shivers down the spines of his comrades.

Wei charges towards Kira in a blind rage. His right paw swings towards the handle of his katana, he clutches the black, leather handle tightly and unsheathes the curved-edged blade.

Once Wei had reached striking range he swung his sword towards Kira's head. Kira's right paw grabs the handle of his sword and unsheathes it.

Kira swings his sword and with a clang he parries Wei's katana. Wei unleashes a chain of swings with his katana, Kira parries, blocks and dodges the swings proficiently. Kira jumps seven feet backwards and assumes a stance.

Wei bends his knees and leans his upper body forward before sprinting forward. Po stands still as he watches the young warrior battle Kira; he attempts to join in the battle to help out his friend but a foot collides with the left side of his face.

Po flies three feet away, he lands and rolls along the grass. Po uses his paws to push his upper body up from the wet grass and mud; his rests his left forearm upon the ground to support his weight.

Po's eyes dart to where he originally stood to see Tai Lung glaring his good eye at the panda with a satisfied smirk stretched across his muzzle.

Po pulls himself to his feet; Tai Lung's strength has far improved than when he and Po first fought. Po and Tai Lung assume their fighting stances; suddenly Tai Lung tilts his head to the left and Shifu flies past his head, landing on the grass at Po's left.

Tigress' face creases and she grits her teeth. A low growl echoes in the felines throat as she crouches down on all fours. Tigress charges towards Tai Lung, once she was close she pounces.

Tai Lung closes his eyes, his smirk grows wider as he chuckles amusingly. He bends his knees, missing her target Tigress glides over his head. Tigress lands and skids across the wet grass until she was beside Po at his right. She then returns to her usual posture and assumes her signature fighting stance.

Tai Lung sprints towards Po, a glint of blood lust shines in his left eye.

Tigress side-steps in between them, she balls her right paw and throws a punch at her former foster brother. Tai Lung - reacting quickly - raises his right paw to face level and catches Tigress' fist.

Tigress' eyes bulge and her mouth falls agape. Tai Lung's lips curl into a sinister smile; his lips part revealing his teeth.

The snow leopard spins his body around with his back to Tigress. His left paws grabs Tigress' upper arm and Tai Lung throws the feline several feet away. Tigress crashes back onto the cobblestone road; a ring of dust dilates from her person and the tigress coughs.

"Tigress!" Po bellows. Tigress struggles to her feet; she tilts her chin upwards and meets Po's gaze.

"I'm okay Po." She assured. Tai Lung turns his feet around, bestowing his glare upon Po.

"But _you_ won't be!" He threatened. Tai Lung balls his paws into fists, he pulls his right arm back and throws a punch at Po.

Tai Lung's fist collides with Po's snout, the panda grunts in pain and staggers backwards. Shifu lunges at Tai Lung, he spins his around and juts his right foot forward, attempting to kick the leopard.

Tai Lung grabs Shifu's tiny ankle with his right paw and throws the red panda onto the ground. The mud squelches once Shifu's body makes contact with it; Tai Lung throws his left fist down at the Grandmaster but Shifu rolls out of the way.

Tai Lung's fist crashes into the ground, he withdraws arm, leaving a fist-shaped hole in the ground. Mud stains Tai Lung's knuckles; the leopard turns to his former master who had gotten to his feet.

"You couldn't beat me in our last encounter Shifu. I'm far stronger now, what makes you think this time will be any different?!" Shifu re-takes his fighting stance, glaring into Tai Lung's eyes. Thunder flashes above before Shifu's lips snap apart.

"This time, I intend to do what I should've done twenty-three years ago!"

* * *

Crane, Viper, Monkey and Mantis stand before Shen in their fighting stances. Shen however merely stands still, waiting patiently for one of his opponents to make a move. Finally, Mantis lunges at the peacock.

Shen's beak curls into a smirk, he pulls out his guan dao and swings it at the incoming bug. Mantis slams into the side of the guan dao blade, the sheer of the swing sent the bug plummeting into the back upon the cobblestone - knocking him unconscious.

Viper slithers towards Shen, the peacock notices the snake closing in on him. Three blades protrude from his left sleeve, Shen throws the knives at Viper.

Viper gasps, she shapes her body into a zig-zag like shape. The knives barely miss her body and stick themselves into the cobblestone, one lands beside the left of her tail, the second lands beside the right of her body and the final lands right in front of her face.

Viper lets out a sigh of relief, she returns her gaze to Shen who seems to have disappeared. She suddenly feels a tight grip around her body, she is then lifted from the ground.

Viper glances to her left to find herself being held in Shen's right wing. In his left wing he holds his guan dao. Monkey releases his primal screech and charges towards Shen to help his comrade.

Shen spots the simian in the corner of his vision, Shen's neck turns to the right and he locks his gaze on the incoming primate. Shen's gaze flicks to Viper quickly before he returns his gaze to Monkey. A cruel idea flashes within his twisted mind.

Once Monkey was within striking range, Shen swung Viper at him. Viper's head collides with the right side of Monkey's face, Viper lost consciousness while Monkey merely staggers a few paces to the left.

Shen tosses the limp snake aside, his right wing clutches the handle of his guan dao. He swings his guan dao at Monkey, before he could even react - the tip of the guan dao's blade glides horizontally across his chest, leaving a long, bloody gash.

Monkey winces and hisses in pain. Blood seeps from his wound and streaks down his abdomen, staining his golden fur. A single knife protrudes from Shen's right sleeve, with one horizontal swing the knife flew out of Shen's wing.

The sickening sound of metal skewering flesh and a bellow of agony resounds the atmosphere concurrently. Monkey collapses to his knees, his left paw clutches his right paw. Trails of blood cascades down his right arm and stains his left paw.

Shen's throwing knife has lodged itself in Monkey's right shoulder. Shen stalks towards Monkey, brandishing his guan dao. Monkey's face creases; Shen stops before the simian.

He places the cold tip of his guan dao blade against Monkey's throat. But before he could finish him off, a skinny leg slams into the peacock's face sending him flying seven feet away.

Shen lands safely on his feet, his metal brace clangs against the cobblestone. Shen jerks his head as his gaze darts over to his attacker; Crane stands beside Monkey - looking down upon him with a concerned expression etched on his face.

"Monkey are you alright?" Crane asked. Concern evident in his tone of voice. Monkey releases his grip on his arm, he lifts his paw up to the blade jutting from his shoulder and curls his finger around it.

Monkey grunts in pain as he yanks the knife from his shoulder. Monkey drops the knife, it clatters on the cobblestone as Monkey places his paw over his wound. He applies pressure to the wound to prevent further bleeding.

"I'll be fine Crane."

Crane forwards his gaze to Shen who pulls himself to his feet. Crane's face creases in anger; the avian spreads out his wings and with one flap Crane soars into the air.

Crane flaps his wings repeatedly, he is now hovering sixteen feet above the ground. Crane dives down towards Shen, the peacock throws several knives at the crane. Crane maneuvers past the knives and closes in on the albino peacock quickly.

But he notices Shen's menacing smirk. Crane cocks an eyebrow confusion, then - Shen launches another knife at him. Crane's eyes bulge wider than ever before; he veers to the right but the knife slices his left wing.

Crane's eyes shut tight and he hisses in pain. Crane lost altitude and crashes onto the cobblestone road - right in front of Shen. Crane lifts his gaze so it met Shen's, the peacock stares down at the avian. His facial expression indicates that he is unamused, he looks down at Crane like he's inferior.

Shen bends his mangled leg off of the ground, he delivers a swift kick to the avian's face - knocking him out. Shen places his foot back upon the ground, staring at Crane's unconscious form.

"Too easy." He said, disappointed.

* * *

Tai Lung and Shifu are locked in combat. Tai Lung's fighting was more brutal, more cunning and more dangerous than ever before. Shifu remains on the defensive, waiting for the right opportunity to strike.

Tai Lung throws his right fist at Shifu; the red panda swipes his arm horizontally - parrying Tai Lung's attack with his wrist. Tai Lung's entire arm was jerked to the side; Shifu now has his opening.

He throws a swift jab with his left paw towards Tai Lung's face. But the snow leopard jumps backwards, Tai Lung grins at Shifu.

The red panda creases his face as a drop of sweat slides down the left side of his face.

"I told you, you can't win Shifu!" Tai Lung mocked.

"Silence! I have had enough of you Tai Lung!" Shifu exclaimed. Tai Lung beckons his former master. Shifu sprints towards Tai Lung, when he reached striking range he lunges at the snow leopard.

Tai Lung juts his index and middle finger. He pulls arm back, and with one thrust he struck Shifu in the chest, a blue pulse courses around Shifu's person and the red panda's paralyzed body drops to the ground.

Tai Lung smirks triumphantly at the sight of his defeated master. An abrupt roar rings in Tai Lung's ears, he twists his neck to the right and glances over his shoulder. Tigress stands ten paces behind him, her teeth gritted and her pupils had become slits.

Tigress sprints towards Tai Lung, the snow leopard spins his body around in Tigress' direction and readies himself. Tigress lunges at Tai Lung, pulling her left arm back.

Tigress thrusts her fist forward but Tai Lung tilts his head to the right. Tai Lung balls his right paw into a fist, he lands a powerful punch to Tigress' stomach.

Tigress grunts in pain before she vomits blood. The strength of Tai Lung's punch sends her soaring nine feet away. Tigress lands into the mud on her back, her arms and legs spread out once she hit the ground.

_"He's too strong."_

Tai Lung stalks towards her, Tigress is unable to move due to the excruciating pain in her stomach due to that blow from Tai Lung.

"Stop!" A voice blares out. Tai Lung turns his feet around. Po stands with a straight posture, his jade eyes glare at Tai Lung and his lips are curled into a determined frown.

"Fight me!" Said Po. Tai Lung narrows his eyes and gets into a fighting position.

"Gladly. Now I can get revenge on you and claim the title you stole from me." Po assumes a fighting stance. Lightning flashes and thunder roars concurrently as the two warriors sprint towards each other.

The panda and the snow leopard exchange powerful blows, punching back and forth. Tai Lung swings a horizontal kick with his right leg but Po's lifts and bends his left leg, blocking Tai Lung's attack.

Tai Lung withdraws his leg as Po places his foot back upon the ground. Tai Lung throws barrage of fists at the Dragon Warrior, Po managed to block and dodge them but with great difficulty.

Po aims a roundhouse kick to Tai Lung's jaw, but the snow leopard crouches down causing Po to miss his mark. Tai Lung extends his left leg out and leg sweeps the panda onto his back.

Po grunts once his back hits the grass and mud. Po forces his eyes open, he uses his forearms to push his upper body up from the ground and support him. Tai Lung stands still, staring at the panda. His fur and pants drenched in the downpour, water droplets streak down his face.

Po struggles to his feet and re-takes his fighting stance. Tai Lung's face creases in anger and he sprints towards the Dragon Warrior. Thunder roars above as Tai Lung pulverizes Po with a chain of brutal punches and kicks, blood droplets fly every in directions with every fist and foot that collides with Po's body.

Tai Lung was a whirlwind of punches and kicks, continuing his relentless assault. Tigress stares in horror, her eyes are bulged and her mouth is agape. The sight of the panda she loves so dearly being beaten in such a ferocious way shatters her heart.

"Po..." She attempts to move but she flinches in pain and wraps her arms over her stomach.

Tai Lung lets out a battle cry as he pulls his right arm back, he thrusts it forward and in a flash of lightning Po's battered body flies sixteen feet away from the leopard. When Po's limp body hits the ground, the whole world feels like it's shaking.

* * *

Wei and Kira exchange swings with their swords, sparks fly and clangs echo as their blades make contact. Wei swings his sword horizontally for Kira's throat but the armored warrior jerks his head back and the tip of the blade barely misses his neck.

Wei swings the blade back but Kira jumps backwards. Wei tightens his grip on his katana handle and charges towards Kira yet again. Once he was within striking range Wei delivers a chain of swings with his sword but Kira manages to dodge them all.

In the midst of their skirmish, Kira took the time to observe Wei's swordsmanship.

_"Hmm, he appears to be enraged. But his strikes are processioned, cunning and skilled. Maybe I underestimated you Wei." _

Wei raises his katana high above his head, his sword then plummets down towards Kira. Kira raises his sword horizontally above his head, he rests the blade on the palm of his left paw.

Sparks fly and a clang echoes in their ears. Wei's katana has sliced through the blade of Kira's sword. Kira quickly pulls his knee back against his stomach and thrusts it forward, kicking Wei in the stomach.

Wei winces and grunts his pain as the force of the kick sent him skidding a few feet back. Wei forces his left eye open and he glares at Kira, the fires of hate burn in his sharp, blue eyes.

Kira drops his sword hilt and blade which clatter upon the cobblestone, Kira then assumes a fighting stance. Wei glides his katana blade back towards the scabbard, which a clang the weapon was sheathed.

Wei sprints towards Kira with impressive speed, Wei was a few paces in front of Kira before he thew his left fist at the armor-clad. Kira reacts quickly, he grabs Wei's wrist with his right paw and pulls him closer, kneeing the white tiger in the stomach.

Wei coughs blood as Kira withdraws his knee. Wei staggers backwards, wrapping his arms around his stomach. Kira stalks towards Wei; the Demon Swordsman grits his teeth and growls at his adversary.

Kira balls his right paw into a fist and swings horizontally at Wei. Kira's fist collides with Wei's jaw causing his face to jerk to the right. Wei spits blood on the ground before forwarding his gaze to Kira.

Kira lands a swift roundhouse kick with his left leg which whacks the right of Wei's abdomen. Wei's face creases and he hisses in pain. Kira contiues his brutal onslaught upon the young tiger.

Finally, Kira ends his chain of attacks by swinging his right paw upwards, landing powerful uppercut to Wei's jaw. Wei's body flew nine feet back, he grunts once his back lands on the wet cobblestone.

Kira chuckles menacingly at his downed opponent.

"I was hoping you'd be more of a challenge. But I guess I overestimated you, pity." The sudden sound of clapping resounds the atmosphere. Kira tilts his chin upwards and turns his feet around.

Standing sixteen feet away from him was the Supreme Leader himself. His appearance silhouetted by the darkness. Kira flinches in surprise.

"S-Supreme Leader? My lord what're you doing here?" Asked Kira. The Supreme Leader ceases his clapping and lowers his arms.

"I had to see the fight for myself. Good show my students, good show." He praised. Wei pulls himself to his feet and glares at the Supreme Leader. The thick clouds above separate and the moon bestows it silver light upon the world below.

The moonlight reveals the Supreme Leader's appearance. He is a lion with dark grey fur and a thick, well groomed, onyx black mane. He is clad in an emerald green robe with golden trimmings and a golden sash wrapped around his waist. He is a few inches taller than Wei which he found unusual since tigers are supposed to be bigger than lions. And Wei is a siberian tiger, the largest species of tiger there is.

But that isn't his most unusual feature. No, his most unusual features are his eyes, they are crimson red. Wei didn't know why, but there is something _very_ familiar about those eyes.

The Supreme Leader's gaze flicks to Wei.

"What do we have here?" He asks.

"His name is Wei Zhao Supreme Leader. He's Feng Zhao's brother." Explained Kira.

"Oh. I thought he looked familiar." Wei narrows his eyes, intensifying his glare.

"Greetings Mr. Zhao. I am the Supreme Leader. But you may call me _Jun_." He introduced.

"Jun huh? Now I know the name of the guy I'm about to kill." Wei hissed. Kira's body spins round facing Wei.

"Bite your tongue!" Kira exclaimed.

"Calm yourself Kira. He's just a little angry that I ordered you to kill his weakling brother." Wei's face wrinkles in anger and he grits his teeth.

"You evil bastard!" Wei bellows. Jun smiles and chuckles amusingly.

"My dear boy. Evil... is a matter of perspective." Wei's eyes grew wider than ever before. He now remembers where he saw those eyes before; ten years ago when his village was massacred.

Jun was the silhouette who had killed his family and gave him his scars. Rage built up in Wei's body as the memories of that day flash before his eyes, he releases his rage with a monstrous roar.

"You!" He roared. Wei sprints towards Jun, his pupils have once again become slits. But before he could get close - a muscular arm stretches out and clotheslines him.

Wei's body flips in mid-air before he falls face-first onto the ground. Wei groans as his consciousness slips and his world becomes black. Kira stares at the unconscious body of Wei Zhao.

"So," Jun started "It appears Wu Zhao's second son is still alive after all this time."

"What should we do with them?" Asked Shen. Jun flicks his right wrist.

"Destroy them." Tai Lung and Shen both smirk menacingly. Tai Lung turns his gaze in the direction of Po's broken body and approaches it. Tai Lung raises his right paw high above his head, his sharp claws protrude from his fingertips.

Then, his paw plummets down towards Po, his claws were only inches above the panda when...

"Wait!" Kira's voice blares out. Tai Lung halts his attack, his claws hovering only mere centimeters above the panda's face. Tai Lung straightens his posture and turns to Kira.

"Kira, what is the meaning of this?!" Jun demanded.

"With all do respect Supreme Leader, I think I have a better idea of how to dispose of the _trash_."

To be continued


	23. Chapter 23: The Resistance

**Chapter 23: The Resistance**

Wei's eyelids open and close repeatedly as his consciousness begins to the return to him. A familiar voice echoes in his ears, but he was too dazed to make out what the voice is saying.

Wei blinks twice or thrice; his vision wavers and blurs. Finally, Wei's vision clears up. The first thing he sees it Kira sitting on a large rock protruding from the ground. In his left paw he holds a black sheath, and in his right he held Wei's katana.

Kira slowly brandishes the weapon, obviously observing the craftsmanship. Wei groans and stirs; his ankles felt like they were tied up. Wei's gaze flicks to his ankles, his eyes widen in shock.

His ankles are wrapped together by a rope, his gaze follows the rope to see what he is attached to. His eyes bulge even bigger; tied at the other end of the rope was a large rock sitting next to the ledge of a wide hole in the ground.

"Po?... Po!" A familiar voice calls out. Wei turns his neck to the left; all of his friends are tied up as well. Each of their ropes are tied to rocks and are sitting by the ledge of the same hole. Except for Mantis who is just tied to a rock.

He spots Tigress squirming violently, her paws are tied behind her back. She was desperately trying to reach Po, the panda is still unconscious and barely alive. His battered body is covered in bruises and scratches while his fur is sticky with his own blood.

Wei attempts to move his own paws but they are tied behind his back as well.

"Look who's finally awake." Kira's voice pierces Wei's ears. Wei forwards his neck, he tilts his chin upwards and meets Kira's gaze.

"I have to say Wei, this katana of yours is really something. Light, perfectly balanced, sharper than any blade I've ever seen and there's not a single scratch or nick on the blade. This weapon is perfection. I hope you don't mind if keep for awhile do you?" Standing up from the rock, Kira sheathes the katana and straps it to the left of his waist.

He steps closer to Wei and kneels down before him. Wei's face creases in anger, his jaw contracts as he grits his teeth.

"Hey don't be like that. What have I ever done to you? Aside from killing your brother, beating the crap out of you, stealing your weapon and about send you and your friends plummeting down that hole to your doom. I've done nothing to you."

"Why do you serve him?" Wei hissed. Kira tilts his head to the left.

"What was that?" He asked.

"Why do you serve Jun? He's a murderer." Kira straightens his legs and was now at full height. He glares down at Wei.

"Oh boohoo. He killed your parents, so what? Get over it kid. People die, okay? There's nothing you can do about it. Sooner or later, it comes for all of us." Wei grimaces at the armored warrior.

Kira turns his feet around and ambles forward. He stops beside the rock that Wei's rope is attached to; he glances at the Demon Swordsman before saying "Goodbye Wei Zhao. Say hello to your brother for me."

With that, Kira places his right foot against the rock and pushes it over the ledge. The weight of the rock pulls the rope, dragging Wei across the ground; the rocky ground around the pit scratches at his back.

Wei plummets down the pit; he could feel the air leaving his lungs. A strong wind blows upwards, Wei's fur agitates violently in the breeze. He glances up, the hole where he fell through got smaller and smaller. And then...

_SPLASH _

The feeling of wind against his fur was replaced with the feeling of his entire body becoming drenched. Wei had fallen into the water at the bottom of the pit; the rock continues to drag him under, the water darkens the deeper he gets. Finally, the rock had touched the ground at the bottom of the water.

Wei tries his best to hold his breath, but he wasn't sure how long he would be able to hold it. Seconds later several rocks pierce through the water and fall the bottom, dragging the bodies of his comrades down with them.

They all held their breaths, all but Po who is unable to do anything in his current condition. Tigress violently jerks her body towards Po but the rock weighs her down, preventing her from moving.

Wei began to panic, he wasn't what to do. Wei thinks hard on how to escape this situation; bubbles emerge from his nostrils as Wei continues to think. But it was difficult, his friends are dying and he can't hold his breath any longer.

Suddenly, Wei felt the ropes around his wrists loosen until he couldn't feel them anymore. Wei brings his paws in front of his face, the rope had somehow untied itself. Either that or the one who had tied him up didn't do a very good job of restraining him.

Wei's thoughts return to his friends; the claws within fingers of his right paw protrude from his fingertips. Wei slouches his back so he was closer to his rope, he swipes horizontally at the rope and his claws slice in half without effort.

Wei unties his ankles and swims towards Po. He swipes horizontally at his rope and the panda's body begins to slowly ascend to the surface. Wei grabs Po's left arm and pulls it over his shoulders, he swims upwards as fast as he can before he and Po explode out of the water.

Wei inhales and exhales heavily as takes air back into his lungs. He releases his grip on Po and lets the Dragon Warrior float amongst the surface on his back. Wei takes in a deep breath before he dives underwater again.

He breaststrokes quickly down to the where his friends are. Luckily they were still alive; Wei swims towards Tigress, he goes behind her and unties her bonds. Tigress unsheathes her claws and cuts her rope. Wei and Tigress work together to save their friends.

Wei releases Mantis, Viper and Crane while Tigress rescues Monkey and Shifu. The warriors swam towards the surface and they burst out of the water, each one of them breathing heavily.

Tigress' red eyes flick towards Po's floating body, she swims towards it and embraces him. She shuts her eyes, barely able to hold back her tears.

"Po..." She croaked. Po didn't respond, his jade eyes remain shut. Tigress opens her eyes and stares at his bruised face.

"Po?" She calls his name once again. But no avail.

"Po!" Again, Po remains unresponsive. Tigress' heart rate increases and thumps violently against her ribs. Tears begin to form in the corners of her eyes.

"Po, please wake up!" She pleaded. But the panda didn't even stir. A single tear drop slides down her cheek.

"We have to find a way out of here!" Said Shifu.

"But the only way out is the way we came in. Not even _I_ can make that climb." Said Monkey.

"So what do we do?" Asked Viper. Shifu's ears flatten against his head, he closes his eyes as he lets out a sigh. He opens his eyes as he shakes his head.

"I don't know." Suddenly the sound of multiple wings flapping causes Shifu's ears to perk up. The sounds got closer and closer, louder and louder until the sound was directly above them.

Shifu's gaze snaps upwards, a flock of birds soar in circles above. A lot of them were different species, like hawks, eagles and buzzards. The flock continue their aerial manuevers for a couple of minutes before all of them dive down into the pit.

Once they were within range they all spread out their wings and flapped them. The birds hover over the water, staring the defeated masters. Shifu cocks an eyebrow in confusion.

"Who are you?" He asked. An eagle, clad in metal armor and blue puffy pants opens his beak.

"Your rescuers." He replied. His talons grip onto Shifu's shoulders and he quickens the speed on his wing flapping. The eagle slowly ascends out of the pit, carrying Shifu with him. The rest of the birds grab onto the remaining warriors out of the pit and safely place them on the ground.

The birds line up in front of the warriors and drop to ground. Wei gazes sidelong at the flock, but he only recognized one of them. The hawk in the middle of the line, he was the one who had given him the message. Wei juts his right arm forward and points his index finger at the hawk.

"You," Wei started "You're the one who gave me the message." The hawk's beak curls into a cocky smirk.

"Glad you remember." He said. Shifu steps forward, his back straightened and his expression stern. His lips snap apart as he speaks directly to the hawk.

"Who are you?" He asked once again.

"I told you, your rescuers." Shifu lowers his chin and glares at the hawk. The hawk swallows hard, obviously getting the message.

"I am, Xing the Great!" He said as he spread his wings for emphasis. The warriors cock their eyebrows in confusion.

"Who?" Asked Mantis. Xing lowers his wings, his back slouches and his beak falls agape.

"Are you kidding? You've never heard of me?" He asked. The warriors shake their heads in confirmation.

"Nope." Said Monkey.

"Sorry, but no." Said Viper.

"Doesn't ring a bell." Said Mantis.

Xing sighs before straightening his back.

"Anyway. As I said, I am Xing the Great. And this is my flock. We serve _The Resistance_." Viper cocks an eyebrow and tilts her head to the left.

"_The Resistance_?"

"That's right. You see, we've been fighting against Jun aka the Supreme Leader for years now. But after Tai Lung and Shen got involved our leader sent me to get your help. We thought you'd be able to take Kira, Tai Lung and Shen. But it looks like not even China's greatest fighters are a match for 'em." Tigress steps forward, she stares into Xing's eyes. The hawk could see her eyes were wet and full of sorrow.

"Please, our friend needs urgent medical attention." She gestures her left paw to Po. Xing's gaze follows the tigress' arm and catches sight of the battered panda.

"Oh, right! Follow us, we'll take you to our hideout." Tigress' lip curls into a small smile.

"Thank you." She said, with sincerest gratitude. Wei turns his feet to the left and shuffles towards the Dragon Warrior. He grabs Po's right arm and pulls it over his shoulders and he lifts Po up.

The flock spread out their wings, flapping them they ascended into the air. While the other birds soared ahead. Xing turns to the group and says "Come on, Jun's scouts will be patrolling this area very soon."

Xing then flies after his comrades; the warriors follow the flock as they lead the gang to their hideout.

* * *

The flock had lead the warriors to an enormous mountain overlooking Jun's massive fortress. The warriors haste up the zig-zag shaped mountain trail and found the flock standing before a cave entrance.

They follow the flock inside; the dome-shaped interior of the cave was colossal. There are camps that are numbered in the thousands; multitudes of people roam the cave.

The warriors follow the flock through the cave; the gazes of mulitple people follow them. Some groups would whisper amongst each other while occasionally stealing glances at the gang. Xing stops abruptly, causing his followers to stop as well. Standing before Xing is a sheep. Xing's beak snaps apart as he speaks the sheep.

"We have a panda back there who is severly injured. I need you to take a look at him." He said. The sheep glances behind Xing and spots Po right away. His eyes bulge at the sight of Po's condition. He returns his gaze to Xing and his lips part.

"I'll get right on it!" The sheep then claps his hooves. A pig, a bunny and a goat approach the sheep. The sheep extends his right arm forward and points his hoof at Po.

They approach Po and Wei hands him over; working together the all lift up Po and carry him away. Tigress watches as her love is carried away by those medics. She places her left paw over her heart and only manages to pull her gaze away once Po was completely gone from her sights.

Xing turns his neck to the left and gazes over his shoulder.

"Come on." He said, before forwarding his gaze and sauntering forward. The flock and the remaining warriors follow him.

They eventually arrive at the largest the tent within the cave; several smaller tents encircle the larger tent. A large camp fire stands in the wide space in the midst of the tents.

The Jade Palace warriors and the flock shuffle around the camp fire and enter the tent. All gazes dart across the tent to see a white tiger, clad in a blue tunic and brown pants sitting behind a wooden desk.

On first glance Wei thought it was brother Feng, but after a good look he realized that it wasn't him. This tiger had a masculine jaw like Wei, but his cheek bones are lower and his eyes are amethyst coloured. He also has a long, diagonal scar across his right cheek.

The white tiger lifts his gaze, his lips compress into a smile at the sight of the warriors and he rises from his seat.

"Masters of the Jade Palace, welcome. My name is Shang, I'm the leader of the Resistance." The warriors bow respectively. They straighten their backs and return their gazes to Shang.

"Would any of like any medical attention. My scouts said you were all beaten pretty badly out there."

"We're fine." Said Shifu, no one objected meaning he was right.

"First of all, I would to apologise for bringing you into this. If I had known Kira, Tai Lung and Shen were so powerful I _never_ would've sent Xing with that message."

"Sir, you know I like to be called _Xing the Great_." Shang sighs before glancing at the hawk.

"Xing, we've been over this. No one is ever gonna refer to you by your self-proclaimed title. If you want people to call you _Xing the Great_, well then you have to do something... well... great!" Xing turns his gaze away from Shang, his facial expression was etched with annoyance.

"Whatever." Xing mutters. Shang forwards his gaze to masters.

"If you wish, you could stick around for the night and leave in the morning." Shang suggested.

"No! We came here to help those in need, and that's _exactly_ what we're going to do." Said Shifu. Shang's eyes bulge and he flinches slightly, obviously taken back by Shifu's words.

"G-Great. But are you sure?" They all nod their heads in confirmation. Shang's lips compress into a smile.

"Well then, you should rest up for the night." Shang lowers chin and clears his throat.

"Mei-Lien!" He calls. Within seconds of calling someone enters the tent.

"What do you want Shang?" A feminine voice asks. The warriors turn around to see a white tigress standing with her paws on her hips. In terms of height she is slightly shorter than Tigress. Her eyes were round and amethyst coloured like Shangs; her cheekbones were low as well. But her jawline was weaker though.

She wears a brown vest and brown sweatpants over her slender, curved body. She also wore wooden sandals upon her feet.

"Everyone, I'd like you to meet my baby sister. Mei-Lien." Mei-Lien grimaces at her brother and folds her arms.

"Will you stop calling me your _baby sister_, I'm nineteen for crying out loud!" She snaps. Shang chuckles and his smile grows wider.

"No matter how old you get you'll always be my baby sister. Now show our guests to their tents." He ordered. Mei-Lien rolls her eyes.

She turns her feet around and exits the tent, the warriors follow her. Mei-Lien leads the group to an empty campsite which appears to have been desserted for a while now.

"This camp belonged to some soldiers who chickened out of the Resistance and joined that asshole Jun. Feel free to do as you please." She said. Luckily the camp had enough tents for all of them.

Mei-Lien watches the warriors choose their tents. But there was one Kung Fu warrior who caught her eye the most, Wei. She couldn't help but admire his looks, his muscles were nicely toned; his masculine jawline, high cheekbones, sharp electric blue eyes and arched eyebrows gave him that kind of _bad boy_ look.

_"He's pretty cute." _

"Um, excuse me." A voice pulls Mei-Lien from her thoughts. The white tigress turns her neck to the right to see Master Tigress standing beside her, with her entire body facing her.

"Yes? What can I do for you?" She asked politely.

"Where's the medical tent?"

"The medical tent? Oh, do you have some wounds you need to check out?" Tigress shakes her head.

"No, a very dear friend of mine is seriously injured and I want to know if he's alright." Mei-Lien could see the glint of despair within the master's eyes.

"Right this way." She said. Mei-Lien turns her feet around and saunters forward, Tigress follows. Mei-Lien lead Tigress to the medical tent; it wasn't too far away from their campsite.

It had to be the second largest tent inside the cave. Before Tigress could enter to see Po, the medic who took him away steps outside. Tigress quickly approaches him; the medic spots the tigress in the corner of his eye so he glances at her.

Tigress stops before him, she shifts uncomfortably before meeting the medic's gaze.

"What can I do for you Master Tigress?" He asked.

"Um... I was wondering... How's Po doing?" She asked nervously. The medic's face fell and he tilts his chin downwards.

"We did all we could."

To be continued


	24. Chapter 24: Feelings Confessed

**Chapter 24: Feelings Confessed **

"We did all we could." The doctor told her. Tigress' eyes widen in horror and her mouth falls agape.

"D-Do you mean he's-"

"No." He cut her off "The Dragon Warrior is alive, but he's sustained serious injuries. He has several broken ribs, his shoulder was completely dislocated, he had a serious concussion and some internal bleeding." Tigress' heart ached, she guids her right paw up to her chest and places it over her heart.

"Is he going to live?" She asked. The doctor closes his eyes; his frown deepens and he lowers his shoulders as he exhales nasally. When his eyelids part, she sees that his gaze is locked on the ground at their feet.

"I'm sorry. But the odds of him surviving the night are very low." He said solemnly. Tigress fails to hold back a gasp; she immediately lifts her paw from her chest and places it over her muzzle.

"No..." She whispers. The doctor's gaze remains fixed on the ground, he can't bring himself to look into the feline's eyes. Tigress lowers her arm; holding back her tears, her lips part.

"Can I see him?" The doctor nods his head.

"Of course." The doctor then ambles past her, leaving Tigress alone. Tigress swallows hard before entering the tent.

Tigress tenses at the sight of Po, lying in a bed. His left is held in a white sling; he has bandages wrapped around his temple, chest and right forearm. Tigress' heart shatters at the sight of Po's battered form.

She slowly approaches the bed which Po lies in, her races with every step. She stands at Po's bedside, staring at his unconscious body. She sits down on a wooden stool beside the bed and continues to stare at the Dragon Warrior.

Silence embraces the tent; the only sound that was heard was the crackling of the flames within the latern on the small table at Po's bedside. The flame brightens the room with the light of its amber hues; one half of Tigress' body is lit up by the flames while the other half of her body is darkened by the shadows.

She rips her gaze away from Po's face to his chest and watches it slowly expand and contract. She closes her eyes as she remembers the times when Po was brought to the brink of death, when he was blasted by Shen's cannon in Gongmen City, and when Ke-Pa drained him of his Hero's Chi. Tigress' eyelids snap open and she returns her gaze to Po's face.

Although he has cheated death, it was all because of luck. Those two time he was brought to death's door, there was something that saved him. When he was blasted by Shen's cannon Po used a wok to block the cannonball. Had it not been for the wok absorbing most of the damage, Po would've definately died.

Then there was when Ke-Pa drained his Hero's Chi. Although Po actually did die, the peach tree sapling re-filled his Hero's Chi and resurrected. But now, he is dying again. No wok, no magic sapling, Tigress wasn't sure what would save him this time.

"Po..." She started "If you can hear me, you have to keep fighting." Po remains still and silent. Tigress lets out a sigh before her facial expression becomes stern.

"Po, wake up! You're the Dragon Warrior, and there is a mad man out there who has two of China's most dangerous criminals under his command. As the Dragon Warrior it's your responsiblity to prevent whatever Jun has planned." Once again no avail. Tigress' face fell and lips form a low frown.

"Po, please wake up. We all need you - Shifu, Viper, Crane, Monkey, Mantis, Wei... and me." Unfortunately, even that wasn't enough to pull the Dragon Warrior back to the world of the living. Tears began to form in the corners of her eyes, her heart was beginning break.

"Po please." She pleaded, her voice become hoarse. No avail. Tear droplets streak down her face, burning her eyes - but she didn't care. Tigress lifts her right arm and gently places her paw atop Po's bandaged head. Even in his current condition, his fur was silky smooth.

"Wake up Po. You can't do this, you can't die on us - on me! You're far more important to me then you'll ever realise Po. Please, don't die." She was begging now. Po remains unresponsive, causing more tears to cascade down her cheeks - burning her face like acid. Tigress bowes her head; her tears drop from her eyes and splat against the floor.

She was on the verge of giving up; but then the memories of her and Po together flash before her eyes. The good times they shared together, the times he made her laugh, the times they fought side-by-side, the times he was there for her when she needed someone, even the times he annoyed her with his crazy and childish antics.

Tigress lifts her head and returns her gaze to Po. She stares at his person with teary, blood-shot eyes. Her expression changes, not to grief but to determination. She wasn't going to let him die, not without telling him her feelings - her _true_ feelings. Tigress shifts her stool and leans her upperbody closer to him. Her heart bombards against her ribs.

"Po," She said with a shaky voice "I have to tell you something. Something I've wanted to tell you for a while now." Tigress inhales nasally, her body begins to tremble. Even though the panda is unconscious and possibly can't hear her words, never before has she felt so nervous.

"I-I love you Po." She confessed. Once those words escaped her lips she felt a great weight being lifted from her shoulders.

"You're everything to me. All of my life no one has ever showed any signs of love, no one at the orphanage, not even Shifu. Training and Kung Fu were all I had in life; then you came along. I know I gave you a hard time when you first arrived at the palace and I apologise for that. Ever since you arrived Po everything has changed, Shifu isn't as strict as he used to be - sometimes he even reminds me of Master Oogway. Also the Five actually have fun and laugh together." Tigress' heart races faster than ever before; heat begins to caress her face as she blushes beneath her fur.

"And as for me, according to our friends I've become more social and friendly. But I find that hard to believe. You've changed my life for the better and I want to thank you for that. Please don't die Po, I love you and I can't live without you." Tigress poured out her emotions with each word. This is first time in her life she's talked about her feelings - and it filled her with relief.

Unfortunately Po remains unconscious causing Tigress' face to fall. Even after confessing her feelings, it wasn't enough to wake up her love. Tigress' stares at Po's closed eyes, praying that those eyelids will open and those magnificent jade orbs will emerge and brighten her world.

Tigress' eyes flick towards Po's smooth, black lips. It didn't take long for her to notice that her head is slowly, unconsciously lowering down to Po's. She knew exactly what she was going to do, so she didn't fight it.

Her lips were only inches above Po's, she closes her eyes and moves closer and closer. Then, she felt her lips pressing against Po's. A bolt of electricity shoots up her spine as she deepens into the kiss. Tigress kissed Po for what seemed like forever until she finally pulls away and stares at his face. Still nothing.

Tigress closes her eyes and stands up from her stool, she turns her feet around and begins walking out of the tent. But before she could leave, a familiar voice caresses her ears.

"T-Tigress..." Po's voice causes Tigress' eyes to fly open and and her ears to perk up. She slowly rotates her body around facing Po, her heart melts at the sight before her and a smile tugs at her lips.

Po is sitting up from his bed, his jade eyes fully open and his signature smile etched on his face. Tigress' eyes bugged and her mouth falls agape.

"P-Po? Y-You're a-awake?" She stutters. The Dragon Warrior nods his head in confirmation. Tigress unconsciously approaches Po, once she had gotten close - she throws her arms around his neck and embraces him tightly. Tears of joy begin to slide down her face.

"Are you crying?" Po asked. Tigress pulls away from the panda, her forearms rest on his shoulders. Tigress stares at him with teary eyes and a wide smile.

"I'm just so happy you're okay." She said, barely audible. Po's gaze drifts downwards; Tigress notices a faint blush beneath his white fur.

"I also heard everything you said." He said nervously. Tigress flinches and her body tenses. She feels like she has been thrown into a furnace; her cheeks blush beneath her fur.

"Oh, r-really?" Po lifts his gaze upwards, meeting Tigress'. Po nods his head causing Tigress' heart to pound furiously against her chest. Tigress tilts her chin downwards, thus lowering her gaze.

"W-Well, I understand if you don't you feel the same way. I just hope it doesn't ruin our friendship."

"I love you too Tigress." He said abruptly. Tigress' eyes bulge bigger than ever before and left ear twitches. She tilts her chin upwards, meeting Po's gaze.

"W-What did you say?" She asked.

"I said I love you too." He said meekly.

"Really?" She asked. Po's smile grew and he nods his head. Tigress felt like she could pass out at any minute. Po - her bestfriend and the man who won her heart, loves her as well. Tigress couldn't hold it back anymore, her head jerks forward and her lips connect with Po's.

The panda sits there wide eyed trying the process what is happening. Tigress - the most hardcore warrior in all of China and the woman he's had a crush on for as long as he can remember is kissing him. Po closes his eyes and the two tilt their heads.

The kiss lasts for ten minutes before they finally pull away for air. Po stares at Tigress dreamly.

"That. Was. AWESOME!" He exclaimes. Tigress' lips curl into a smile and she giggles.

"Would you like another?" She asked.

"Boy, would I!" Tigress leans forward and plants her lips upon Po's. The two kiss passionately. Po and Tigress both moan in pure bliss; unaware of their friends - who had seen everything - watching them.

"Well, it's about time." Viper whispered.

"Yeah, I thought they'd never get together." Mantis said quietly. Wei stares at the scene before him and his lips curl into a smile. He turns his gaze to the others and says "Come on guys, let's give these two some privacy."

With that, Wei and the others turns around and saunter back to their camp - leaving the new couple alone.

**And there you have it, Po and Tigress are finally together. Ladies you may now release your fangirl squeals and men you may go punch something to make yourselves feel like men again. Also I would to thank my supporters so far, I've reached over 100 reviews! And this is only my first story, how many rookies can say that? Anyway, stay tuned for the next chapter!**


	25. Chapter 25: Scars

**Chapter 25: Scars**

"You ready Wei?" Asked Po as he assumes a fighting. Wei stands sixteen feet in front of the panda, he too assumes a fighting stance.

"Ready!" The two black and white warriors sprint towards each other with incredible speed. The Dragon Warrior and the Demon Swordsman exchange punches, both of them dodging and blocking their opponents attacks. Neither of them managed to a successful punch.

Po pulls back his left arm back while Wei pulls back his right arm. The panda and the tiger thrust their arms forward, the sound of their fists colliding echoes and rebounds off the cave walls.

Wei and Po unconnected their fists and they both jumped backwards. Po straightens his posture and gives Wei an impressed smile.

"Wei, dude you're getting far better at your hand-to-hand combat." Po commended. Wei's back straightens and his lips curl into a smirk.

"Thanks Po, since Kira stole my katana my hand-to-hand is all I can practice on."

"Well maybe it was for the best." Wei's smirk falls into a frown.

"Maybe." Wei re-assumes his fighting stance and says "Let's continue!"

Po takes his fighting stance; the two warriors glare at each other for several silent minutes, and then - they charge each other once more. Po and Wei and were locked in combat, they matched each other - blow for blow.

Wei, using his right foot, swung a swift roundhouse kick that was aimed for Po's head. The panda raises his left forearm and intercepts the attack. Wei pulls his leg back and plants it firmly back upon the ground.

Po throw a few fast punches at the young warrior, Wei reacts quickly by blocking the punches and planting a strong kick to the Dragon Warrior's chubby stomach. Po grunts in pain and staggers backwards, Po's upper body lurches forward as he wraps his arms around his stomach.

"Ooooohoohoohoohoo! That really hurt." Po breathed.

"Sorry Po. But Master Shifu said we have to step up our training if we plan on defeating Jun and his men." Po straightens his back and unwraps his arms, his stomach was still throbbing with pain.

"I know, I know." Before Po and Wei could resume their sparring, a familiar voice caresses Po's ears.

"How's your training coming along?" Po smiles widely and he turns his neck to the right. Standing nine feet away from them, is none other than Tigress. Po rotates in Tigress' direction and approaches her.

Wei's gaze follows Po as the Dragon Warrior ambles towards his girlfriend. It had been 5 weeks since the warriors were almost killed by Kira, Tai Lung and Shen. Po and Tigress maintain a healthy relationship, but they don't let their feelings for one another get in the way of their training.

Po snakes his arms around Tigress' waist while the feline wraps her arms around Po's neck. They both lean forward and peck each other on the lips. When they pulled apart they both smile and gaze into each other's eyes.

"I guess we'll resume our training later." Wei said to himself. Wei turns his feet to the left and saunters towards a wooden bench. He sits down on the bench and he leans his upper body forward as rests his forearms upon his knee.

Wei tilts his chin downwards as his gaze becomes locked on the ground at his feet. The Demon Swordsman blinks his eyes as his thoughts drift to Jun and Kira. Jun was responsible for the raid on his village, his men violated and murdered his mother before his very eyes and the image of Jun clutching Wu Zhao's dead body by the throat flashed before his eyes. And then there's Kira, he is the one who killed his older brother Feng on Jun's orders, he stole his Wei's prized katana, and what's worst he showed no remorse.

Wei's face tightens as he resists the urge to growl. Jun, that lion is the sole reason why Wei spent ten years alone. His fingers curl as he balls his paws into tight fists. He wants revenge.

"Um, e-excuse me." A feminine voice stammers. Wei's eyes flick to the corners of his eyes, standing beside him was Mei-Lien. Shang's younger sister. She rubs her right arm and her amethyst eyes avert from Wei as he looks at her; Mei-Lien's cheeks blush faintly beneath her white fur. Wei didn't really notice the nervous gestures as his mind is somewhere else.

"Can I help you with something?" Wei asked monotonously.

"Uhh, well yes I-I mean no - wait! I mean-" Mei-Lien closes her eyes as she takes in a deep breath. Once the young tigress exhaled she succeeded in calming herself down. She opens her eyes and returns her gaze to Wei.

"Shang needs to speak with you, Master Po and Master Tigress. Your friends are already there." Wei nods his head; Mei-Lien turns her feet around and hurried away. Wei raises an eyebrow and tilts his head ever so slightly to the left as he watches Mei-Lien leave in a hurry.

_"What a strange girl." _Wei forwards his gaze to Po and Tigress who sit on the bench twenty paces opposite his. Po has his right arm over Tigress' shoulders and the feline is resting her head on Po's chest with her right paw placed where Po's heart is. Almost as if she wants to make sure it's still beating, and judging by her expression she gains comfort in hearing Po's heartbeat.

Wei stands up from the bench and approaches the couple. Tigress spots Wei coming towards her and Po so she lifts her head from her panda's chest. Wei's lips snap apart and his deep, smooth, monotone voice caresses their ears.

"Shang wants to speak with us. Shifu and the others are already there." Tigress and Po stand up from their bench and follow Wei towards Shang's tent.

When they had arrive they went inside to see that Shifu, Monkey, Mantis, Crane and Viper are standing in a formal line. Behind the large, wooden desk stands Shang. Xing stands at his right along with a gorilla clad in black pants and a leather kilt. The gorilla's fur is obsidian black and his beady eyes are brown.

Standing at Shang's left is a black panther, his thin almond eyes are deep green. He wears a black tunic beneath a rusty, silver chest plate and shoulder guards. He also wears a pair of tattered, black pants and wooden sandals upon his feet. He possesses a rather skinny, lanky frame. His most noticeable feature is the large nick in his right ear.

Po, Wei and Tigress join their comrades in the line and Shang smiles at them.

"Good, now that we're all here we can begin. First of all I'd like you all to meet my generals and closest friends. You all know Xing."

"That's _Xing the Great_, Shang!" Xing retorted. Shang closes his eyes and exhales nasally.

"Xing, for the last time. Give up on that nickname you gave yourself. _No-one_ is ever going to call you that." Xing grimaces. Shang opens his eyes and returns his gaze to the masters. Shang gestures his left paw to the scrawny panther beside him.

"This is Cong. I know what you're thinking _how can someone so scrawny be a general?_ Well, what Cong lacks in physical strength he makes up for is speed and intelligence." Cong chuckles lightly. His voice is low and husky.

"Shang, you're too kind." Shang then gestures his right paw to the gorilla.

"And this, is Zhuang."

"..." Zhuang didn't say a word, he just stared at the warriors with his beady eyes. It was almost intimidating.

"Yeah, he doesn't talk much."

"So, why have you summoned us Shang?" Asked Shifu.

"I'm glad you asked." Shang turns his gaze to Cong.

"Cong. The plans please." Cong lifts his right paw up, revealing an aged scroll which he then gives to Shang. Shang places the scroll down on the table and spreads it out, revealing a complete diagram of a fortress that is encircled by mountains.

Shang gently runs his right paw across the scroll to get rid of any creases, being careful not to tear it. The warriors glance down at the diagram.

"Is that... Jun's fortress?" Asked Crane.

"That's right. Cong here managed to sneak - undercover into Jun's fortress and managed to steal this." All eyes flick towards Cong who averts his gaze, obviously embarrassed by the attention.

"Guys please, it's not a big deal." He said.

"It's a _huge_ deal! With this we can storm that fortress before Jun can say: _What the hell_?" Wei's bestows his gaze upon the leader of the Resistance. He cocks an eyebrow and breaks his lips apart.

"What do you mean?" He asked. Shang's gaze falls to the diagram and he points his right index finger on what appears to be south wall of the fortress.

"Right here, is most unprotected part of Jun's fortress. There's only a pawful of guards that patrol this wall. The other walls however are armed with Shen's cannons. So if we manage to sneak our way over to the south wall, we could plant some gun power kegs there and blow it apart - catching the enemy by surprise. Now, while you guys deal with Kira, Tai Lung and Shen, we'll handle Jun's men." The warriors stare at Shang in astonishment.

"Wow, that could actually work." Shifu said, astounded.

"I _will_ work." Said Shang

"It has to." He said, barely audible. The warriors notice that Shang's ears are now flat against his head and he has a sad expression etched on his face.

"Are you alright?" Viper asked, concerned. Shang straightens his back and clears his throat.

"I'm fine, it's just that... We've all been scarred by that madman." The warriors give Shang confused looks.

"What do you mean _scarred_?" Asked Mantis. Silence floods the tent; remaining still and silent for what felt like forever, Shang lifts his head and parts his lips.

"Seven years ago, when I was nineteen. Me and Mei-Lien lived in a city not far from here. We lived peaceful lives, that is until Jun and his army came." Shang closes his eyes as if the memories came flashing before his eyes. He opens them again and returns his gaze to the masters.

"Jun destroyed our home, he killed anyone and everyone who tried to stop him. My parents, died trying to get me and my sister to safety. But they were unsuccessful, Jun's men found us and took us to his fortress. Which was originally used by Imperials when they fought the Mongolians. He forced us into slavery for about a year until we finally decided to escape. All of the slaves were in on the plan, but only a third of us made it out alive."

The warriors listened intently to Shang's back story, all but Wei were shocked by what had occured.

"All of us, are here because we want revenge on Jun. Xing and his flock, Cong and Zhuang were slaves like me." Xing steps forward, his expression is grim.

"Me and the flock were orphans, we did whatever we wanted and whenever we wanted. Then Jun came along and took us. Cong over there was the son of farmer, Jun raided his families farm and slaughtered them. And as for Zhuang, well we don't know how he ended up a slave. But he was a slave longer than any of us, he suffered cruel punishments which we think is why he won't talk."

"..." Zhuang's gaze falls to the ground at his feet, he then turns and the warriors gasp at what they see. Zhuang's entire back is covered in scars, which appear to have been inflicted by whips. Zhuang turns around once more, his expression blank.

"That is the goal of the Resistance. To put an end to Jun and the trail of death in his wake. So no-one will ever have to experience what we've been through. I'll never forget what Jun said to me the day he ruined my life." Said Shang.

"What did he say?" Asked Monkey.

"He said that, evil is-"

"A matter of perspective." Wei cut him off.

All eyes fall upon Wei. Shang cocks an eyebrow and asks "Yeah, but do you know?" Wei tilts his chin downwards and his gaze falls.

"You're not the only ones who have suffered at Jun's paws." Shang's eyes bulge and his mouth falls agape.

"You mean, he hurt you too?" Wei bobs his head.

"I was ten years-old when I got these," He said as he brings his left paw up to his face and gently pressed his fingertips against his scars.

"Like you Shang, I lived peacefully with my family. Our village was small but it was heaven, then Jun came and ruined it all! His men massacred every man, woman and cub they found. My brother was captured by his men, my father tried to rescue him while my mother and I ran. But three of Jun's lackeys followed us, my mother hid me and tried to lead them away but she was caught. I watched as my mother was rape and killed. The murderers went looking for me so I snuck back to my village, I saw Jun holding my dead father by the neck. He then gave me these scars and told me his definition of evil. Ever since that day I've been looking him, so I can avenge them."

Silence embraces the atmosphere, Wei's comrades stare at him with wide eyes and open mouths. They were in complete shock at what had happened in the tiger's past.

"So," Shang said, breaking the silence "You understand our pain."

"More than you know."

"Well, this meeting is over. You can all carry on with what you were doing. Train hard masters, because in two weeks... Jun's reign of terror shall come to a much deserved end."


	26. Chapter 26: The Night Before D-Day

**Chapter 26: The Night Before D-Day**

Two weeks had flown by since Shang explained the goal of the Resistance to the warriors, and Wei finally telling his story to his friends. The Jade Palace warriors have endured the most extreme, agonizing training either of them have ever experienced. But the results were worth it, they're stronger, faster and more tenacious then ever before.

But the upcoming battle that will take please tomorrow night will prove if they're strong enough to take on Tai Lung, Shen and Kira. The preparations for _D-Day_ as the rebels call it, have been made. Shang has created a battle plan and he's managed to get a good supply of weapons, armour and medicine which were stolen from a delivery wagon intended for Jun.

Wei sits on a bench in the midst of the Resistance's cave. It is a wide, circular area which him and his comrades have been using as a training area. The closest campsite is approximately thirty feet away, so they didn't have to worry about accidentally hurting someone.

Wei's eyes remain fixed on the ground at his feet; his blooded knuckles throb and ache with pain due to the training he did several minutes prior.

_"Tomorrow..." _He thought.

_"Tomorrow I'll get my revenge on Jun and Kira, not just for me. But for all who have suffered at their paws." _The abrupt sound of two voices arguing causes Wei's ears to perk up. He lifts his head and his neck twists to the right and the slender form of Mei-Lien storms into his line of vision.

Reading her expression, Wei could tell she's livid. A black and white blob appears in the corner of his eyes, Wei's electric blue orbs drift to the corners of his eyes and his gaze locks on Shang who follows his sister, his expression was stern.

Mei-Lien halts her pace in the centre of the circular area, she folds her arms over her chest. Shang stops 2 paces behind her and places his paws on his hips.

"Mei-Lien, you're acting like a complete child!" Shang yelled.

"Well _you_ are acting like a complete asshole!" She retorts. Shang flinches at his sister's outburst but he wrinkles his nose in anger.

"When you are going start acting like an adult?!" Mei-Lien turns around, facing her brother. Her arms remain folded.

"Once you start treating me like an adult!" Shang opens his mouth to argue, but his voice fails him. Shang shuts his mouth, turns around and storms away from Mei-Lien, grimacing.

Mei-Lien turns her back on her brother and lowers her gaze; Wei's cocks an eyebrow curiously so he stands up from his bench and approaches the young tigress.

Mei-Lien didn't notice Wei until she felt his paw on her left shoulder. Mei-Lien flinches and she spins her body around facing Wei. Mei-Lien's face heats up and her cheeks blush beneath her fur. Her heart bombards against her chest and she found it difficult to breath as she stares into Wei's deep yet piercing eyes.

"Uhhhh... H-Hi W-Wei." She stammers. Mei-Lien takes a step back nervously and averts her eyes.

"Are you alright? You seem a little... nervous."

"I-I'm fine."

"If you don't mind me asking, what were you and your brother arguing about?" Wei asked. Mei-Lien returns her gaze to Wei, her expression shifts from nevous to irritated.

"Oh. Well the thing is, I want to take part in the battle tomorrow night but my stupid brother won't let me!" Wei raises an eyebrow.

"I know, it's a silly thing to argue about." Said Mei-Lien as she blushes with embarrassment. Wei slowly shakes his head side to side.

"Not at all. When I was a cub, me and my brother would turn the littlest things into arguments. Why this one time when my mother made us dumplings, me and Feng fought over the last one. Literally. Since he was older than me he would always win." A smile tugs at Mei-Lien's lips and she chuckles lightly.

"Being the younger sibling sucks, am I right? Shang is always the _Overprotective, acts like your father_ type."

"Eh, my brother was the _always bragging about being older_ type." Mei-Ling giggles at Wei's comment.

"So, why won't your brother let you fight?" Asked Wei. Mei-Ling's smile fell.

"Well, he says that can't hold my own in a fight. But I think it's just an excuse to keep me off the battlefield." Wei folds his arms over his chest and tilts his head ever so slightly to the right.

"You know, Shang does mean well. You are his younger sister, and his only family. You can't blame for wanting to protect you." Mei-Lien sighs as she tilts her chin downwards, her ears fall flat against her head.

"I know, but he's my only family too. Everytime he's off fighting I always get scared that he won't come back. I just wanna be there, fighting by his side and prevent anything from happening to him. And I also wanna do my part for the Resistance."

"I see. But can you?" Mei-Lien lifts her gaze so it met Wei's.

"Can I what?" She asked.

"Can you hold your own in a fight?" Mei-Ling opens her mouth to answer but her voice got stuck within her vocal cords. She closes her mouth and averts her gaze; her lips part and this time her voice leaves her.

"I don't know." Wei studies Mei-Lien in silence, the young tigress felt uncomfortable because her crush is staring at her. She felt his gaze penetrating her like a pair of electric blue daggers. Finally Wei averts his gaze to the weapon rack by one of the benches.

Wei strolls towards the weapon rack; Mei-Lien's gaze follows his large form. Wei halts in front of the weapon rack and observes the weapons, there is an axe, a sword and a mace.

Wei reaches for the sword and he grabs the handle with his right paw. He turns around and returns to Mei-Lien who looks at him with an arched eyebrow. Wei stops a few feet in front of her and offers her the sword which Mei-Lien reluctantly took.

Mei-Lien holds the sword gingerly in her right paw. She observes the weapon, she could see her reflection in the blade. Wei backs ten feet away, he opens his mouth and says "Show me what you can do with the sword."

Mei-Lien's left paw clutches the handle, she's now holding the sword with both paws. She began swinging the sword while Wei observes her. Mei-Lien's sword skills were inexperienced and clumsy, it was getting a bit awkward to watch.

"No, no, no!" Said Wei. He approaches Mei-Lien and shakes his head side to side concurrently. Mei-Lien stops what she was doing and turns her gaze to the approaching swordsman.

"What?" She asked. Wei halts his strides, creating a three foot gap between him and Mei-Lien.

"First of all, you're just flailing your arm around like a baby with a new toy. You're clumsy as well; you'll end up taking someone's eyes out and I doubt it'll be the enemy's." Mei-Lien wrinkles her nose and her ears twitch.

"You could've given it to me more lightly you know!" She spat.

"I did." Replied Wei. The Demon Swordsman holds out his right paw, Mei-Ling places the sword in his palm and Wei clutches the weapon tightly.

"Step back." He said. Mei-Lien backed away slowly, once she was a safe enough distance away, Wei began to swing the sword. Mei-Lien's eyes bulge slightly as she stares at Wei in awe.

His form and his swings were experience and precise. She could practically hear the air around Wei being sliced. It was no wonder he earned the nickname _The Demon Swordsman_. Wei ends his chain of swings with a single thrust, Mei-Ling gazes side-along at his arm, it was straight and sturdy.

Wei retracts his arm and approaches Mei-Lien again, returning the sword to her.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Go ahead."

"How did you end up with the nickname _The Demon Swordsman_?" She asked.

"Is that it? Well, after Jun destroyed my village I took my father's katana and began searching for him in order to get my revenge. I would often get involved in duels with other swordsmen. I was undefeated. Then people started calling me the Demon Swordsman and it just kinda stuck I guess."

"Cool." Mei-Lien said. Wei's lips curl into a flattered smile, the sight of his smile caused Mei-Lien's body to heat up and the skin beneath her fur becomes red.

_"Get it together Mei-Lien!" _She scolds herself. Mei-Lien swallows to prevent herself from drooling at the sight of Wei's dreamy smile. Wei's lips lower into his usual scowl. Much to Mei-Lien's disappointment.

"Now, what you're doing wrong is that you're swinging your sword as if it's just an object your in paw."

"It is... Isn't it?" Wei shakes his head.

"No, treat your sword as if it's an extension of your arm. When wielding a weapon you must make it just as part of yourself as your own beating heart." Mei-Lien ponders the young tiger's words silently. Three minutes passed by before she spoke again.

"I think I understand." Wei backs away from the tigress, giving her some space. Mei-Lien inhales a deep breath.

_"It's not an object, it's an extension of my arm."_ Mei-Lien began swinging her sword again, this time her moves were more skillful. But she was still a little bit clumsy.

Once Mei-Lien had finished she turns to Wei in hopes of being praised.

"Your swings are still clumsy, you've got to keep a good grip on your handle." Mei-Lien's face fell and her ears drop flat against her head.

"Oh, okay." A sudden feeling of guilt grew in the pit of Wei's stomach. He realised his comment might have been a bit too harsh.

"But, you're making good progress for a beginner." Mei-Lien's face lit up at his compliment and then the two felines resume with their training.

* * *

Wei steps out of the cave entrance of the Resistance's hideout after training with Mei-Lien for two and a half hours. Multitudes of tiny star litter the night sky, while the full moon illuminates the world with its silver rays. The cold, night air caresses his body. A cool breeze blows against his person, his fur dances and goosebumps form on the skin beneath it. Wei's scarf sways gracefully in the wind; the Demon Swordsman smiles and closes his eyes, enhancing the feeling of the night's cold embrace.

"Beautiful night, isn't it?" A deep, familiar voice echoes amidst the darkness. Wei's eyes snap apart and his head snaps to the left. Wei's eyes dart towards the silhoutte standing nine feet away from him amid the shadow. The tiger's eyes bugged wide.

_"It can't be..." _Once the silhoutte emerges from the shadows and steps into the silver moonlight, Wei's face creases in rage and his pupils stretch into slits.

"Hello, Wei Zhao." The Demon Swordsman growls menacingly, only one word managed to escape his lips.

"Jun!"

To be continued


	27. Chapter 27: The Shadows of the Past

**Chapter 27: The Shadows of the Past **

"Jun!" Wei exclaimed. His voice oozes with venom. Wei rotates his body, facing Jun, who remains still in his usual straight posture. Wei shifts himself into a fighting stance, his glaring eyes pierce Jun like a pair of blue daggers.

Jun inhales nasally; the cold night air stings his nostrils. He exhales through his nose and raises both paws defensively.

"I'm not here to fight," He said calmly "I only wish to talk."

Wei narrows his eyes, confused by Jun's words. Only one question runs through his mind, his mouth opens and he voices his question.

"How did you find us?" He demanded. Jun lowers his arms and smirks devilishly.

"Oh, I've the Resistance has been based here for quite some time. The only reason I never did anything is because my plans are more important than brawling with a few ex-slaves." Jun explained. Wei furrows his eyes and raises his head.

"What are your _plans_? Tell me!" Jun's smirk falls into a frown.

"You didn't say _please_. Man, you're just like Wu when he was your age." Those words caused Wei to snap. The fires of rage consume Wei, he creases his face and grits his teeth. Wei's pupils shrink and stretch into slits; he lunges at the lion but Jun reacts quickly and sidesteps to the right.

Wei legs bend once his feet touch the ground where Jun once stood. He rose to full height and twists his body in Jun's direction. Shadows cast over their faces, Jun's crimson eyes and Wei's blues glow within the darkness.

Wei curls his fingers into a fist, he pulls back his right arm and thrusts it forward. Jun reacts quickly again by lifting his left paw in front of his face; once Wei fist collided with Jun's palm the air around them vibrate and a loud thud echoes amidst the mountain tops.

Wei's arm trembles as his paw remains locked in Jun's iron grip, the lion's strength was more superior than his. Jun releases his grip on Wei's paw, the tiger instantly retracts his arm. Jun stares at Wei stoically.

"I told you, I'm not here to fight." He said, trying to keep his calm demeanor. Wei re-assumes his fighting stance and glares at Jun.

"Too bad, because you don't have a choice!" Wei throws a barrage of fast punches at Jun. The Supreme Leader parries them effortlessly with his paws; his still person remains unmoving.

After a few brief minutes of their skirmish Jun finally switches to the offensive. He thrusts his right palm into Wei's face causing the white tiger to stagger backwards. Taking advantage of the situation, Jun curls his finger and juts the index and middle fingers of both of his paws.

Jun advances quickly towards the temporarily stunned tiger. Once Jun had shortened the gap between him and Wei by 2 paces, he relentlessly jabs Wei's entire body with his joined fingers.

Once he had finished Wei lurches backwards and collapses against a large protruding from the ground. Wei grunts once his back connects with the rock and he winces. Jun kneels down before Wei and stares into his eyes; red meets blue.

Wei glares back at murderer of his family. He snarls at the lion, baring his white teeth. He tries to move but his body is completely paralyzed.

"What did you do to me?!"

"I struck your pressure points. But don't worry, the effects are only temporary, which gives us enough time to talk." Wei turns his head away, averting his gaze. Although it appeared only his body from the neck down is paralyzed. Jun gives the young tiger a warm smile.

"You look just like your father, but you have your mother's eyes. Such a kind, beautiful and graceful creature, to this day it baffles me what she saw in a someone like Wu." Wei's head whips around, facing Jun. His nose is wrinkled, meaning Jun's words have angered him.

"Shut up," He hissed "You don't know a thing about my parents." Jun chuckles lightly, causing Wei to arch an eyebrow. Jun finishes chuckling and his smile grows wider.

"See, that's you're wrong Wei Zhao. I knew your father very well. Because you see, your father and I... were best friends." Wei flinches in shock and his eyes bulge.

"I-Impossible." He stammered. Jun shook his head side to side.

"Allow me to tell you a story of how I met Wu and became the lion I am today. I was ten years-old the day I met your father. I was a peasant cub who lived in a bad town."

* * *

_The ten year-old Jun sits alone on a wooden bench. Groups of children frolic and play in the playground before him. The lion cub's crimson eyes stare at the ground at his feet, his expression was sad. _

_Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain against the left side of his head. Instinctively he places his left paw against the area of his head that heard, he glances at the ground to a stone. It wasn't there before, indicating that somebody had thrown it him. _

_Jun twists his neck to the left to see a young bunny, a piglet, and a lamb snickering at him. The pig repeatedly chucks a stone into the air and catches it. _

_Jun's face tightens and he averts his gaze. He lowers his paw away from his head and returns his gaze to ground. Another stone smacks against his left, Jun hisses and winces in pain. _

_He shoots up from the bench and marches over to the three bullies. They smirk devilishly at the advancing the cub. Jun stops before the bullies, glaring at them. _

_"What do you want poor kid?" Asked the piglet rudely. _

_"I want you to stop throwing stones at me!" Jun exclaimed. All three bullies widen their eyes, their lips form a small hole. _

_"Ooooooohhhhh." They said sarcastically. Their expressions return to normal and the piglet steps forward. _

_"What're you gonna do about, freak!" He said he jabs his right hoof into Jun's chest. Jun wrinkles his nose in anger, but he couldn't the words to protest. _

_"That's what I thought. Now get out of here, no-one likes you, go home to your tramp of mom." That was the last straw, Jun's entire face wrinkles with anger and he tackles the piglet to the ground. _

_This catches the attention of the other kids; Jun punches the piglet relentlessly in the face while a crowd of kids encircle them. _

_"GET HIM OFF ME!" The piglet ordered. The bunny and the lamb each grab Jun's arms and yank him off their leader. The piglet struggles to his feet, his face is battered bruised, a thin trail of blood trickles from his snout. He fumes through his gritted. _

_"YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE DONE THAT!" He bellow. The piglet balls his hoof into a fist and pulls it back, Jun squirms violently trying to get free. The piglet thrusts his fist forward, Jun closes his eyes and braces himself. _

_He waited, but the pain never came. He forces open his left eye to see a white tiger cub standing inbetween him and the piglet. The white tiger clutches the piglet's fist tight, the bully yanks at his arm trying desperately to pry his hoof from the tiger's grip. _

_"Grrr, let go!" The pig growled. The tiger obeyed and releases and he let go of the piglet's fist. The piglet steps back and glares at the tiger. _

_"Who the hell are you?" He asked. The tiger gives the piglet a goofy smile. _

_"Name's Wu Zhao. I just moved here yesterday. Also," Wu tilts his chin downwards, his obsidian eyes remain fixed on the piglet. Wu's smile falls and his gaze darkened "I hate bullies." _

_"Is that right? Well then, I leave now and let me get back to pummeling the freak, you won't have any trouble from me." He negotiated. _

_"Hmm, interesting proposal. Here's my counter offer." Wu's right thrusts forward and he grasps the collar of the piglet's shirt. He pulls the piglet forward and headbutts him in the face. _

_The piglet howls in pain and he places his hooves against his face. Wu releases the piglet and the bully staggers backwards. His cries of agony pierce of the air of the surrounding crowd. Wu twists his neck to the right and gazes over his right shoulder towards the lamb and the bunny. _

_Jun could feel them quaking in fear. _

_"Beat it!" Said Wu. The two bullies immediately released Jun and ran away, frieghtened, The piglet followed, still crying as he holds his face. The crowd dispersed leaving Wu and Jun alone. Wu turns to face Jun, that goofy smile had returned to his face. _

_Wu approaches the lion cub and stops a few feet before him. _

_"You alright?" He asked. _

_"Uhhh, yeah. Thanks for the help." _

_"No prob." Said Wu as his smile grew wider. Jun glances down and shifts his weight uncomfortably. _

_"I should... ahhhh... probably go." He said sheepishly. Jun turns around and begins walking away when suddenly Wu's voice calls out to him. _

_"Hey wait!" Jun stops and turns ever so slightly to the right and glances back at Wu. The white gazes at him with his eyebrows furrowed. _

_"Where ya going?" He asked. Jun rotates his body so he that he was fully facing Wu "Wanna play tag?" _

_Jun flinches at the request, no-one ever asked him to play with them. Why did white tiger want to play with him? He's only just met him. Jun's lips unconsciously open and he says "Okay." _

_"Great!" He said excitedly. Wu sprints towards Jun, he gently slaps his right paw onto Jun's left shoulder. _

_"Tag! You're it!" He said before running away from Jun. Jun froze for moment trying to process what had just occurred His lips then curl into a smile and he chases after his new friend._

* * *

Jun smiles at the memory of that day. Wei stares at Jun in confusion. His father never told him about Jun before, is the lion telling the truth. Jun returns to reality and continues with the story.

"Two years later my mother died on an illness. My deadbeat father ran out on me to chase some tail. Wu was the only one I considered family, we were inseparable. Then one day, we met someone who would change our lives forever."

* * *

_Six years later, Jun and Wu - now teenagers stroll through the streets of their village. The sun hovers high amid the blue hues of the morning sky, bathing them with its warmth. Both of them have smiles etched on their muzzles; today is truly a peaceful. _

_"Give us your money old man!" A husky voice demands. Jun and Wu's ears twitch as that voice pierced their eardrums. They both glance to the left, beside them is a narrow alleyway between two buildings. _

_They spot four silhouettes down the alleyway. Curious, the two decide to investigate. Jun and Wu step inside the alway and slowly creep towards the four silhouettes. _

_"I said give us all of your money or else." The same voice threatened. Wu wrinkles his nose and stomps his right foot forward, earning the attention of the three muggers. The muggers all turn to Wu and Jun. _

_The one they assumed was the leader, is a wolf with grey fur and blue eyes. He was clad in tattered brown pants and he holds a small dagger in his right paw. The second one is a coyote with rusty brown fur, brown eyes and he wears black shorts. The final one is a hyena, his fur is light brown with black spots and his round eyes are black. He wears a dirty, tattered grey pants. _

_"Get outta here! This doesn't concern any of you." Said the wolf. _

_"Yeah, no. Drop the knife and no-one gets hurt." The three muggers burst out laughter; especially the hyena who's upper body is lurched forward and his arms are wrapped around his sides. _

_Jun's left twitches in irritation, he marches towards the wolf and balls his right paw into a fist. He halts his pace before the wolf, he pulls back his arm and says "Laugh at this!" He then throws his arm forward. _

_Jun's fist collides with the wolf's snout, Jun could feel the bone snapping a twig. The wolf drops his dagger, the weapon clatters upon the ground. The wolf clutches his nose with his right paw and he staggers backwards as he bellows in agony. Blood pours profusely from his nose; soaking the fur on his paw and his face. _

_The hyena creases his face in anger and grits his teeth. He lunges at Jun but Wu steps in the way, Wu grabs the hyena's throat with his left paw. Wu choke slams the hyena upon the ground, causing him to yelp in pain. Wu releases his grip on the hyena and rises to full height. _

_The coyote swings a roundhouse punch with his right paw at Jun. The lion reacts quickly and rams his left forearm against the coyote's antecubital, thus blocking the attack. The coyote grits his teeth as he pushes as hard as can; a single drop of sweat slides down the side of his face. But the young lion's strength was far superior. _

_Jun jerks his arm his arm out to the side, knocking away the coyote's arm leaving him temporarily stunned. Jun bends his knees, he then jumps up and juts his left knee which smashes into the coyote's jaw. _

_The coyote flew nine feet away and lands on the ground with a painful thud. The three canines groan in pain, then all three of them pulled themselves to their feet and fled. Wu and Jun both turn towards the victim. _

_"You're safe now." Said Wu, trying to comfort the victim. _

_"Thank you both for your help." He said. Jun and Wu both got a good look at the victim, he is a severely aged giant galapogos tortoise, clad in a yellowish green robe and a rice hat. In his right forelimb he holds a staff. _

_"It's no problem Mister..." _

_"Oogway." The tortoise answered. Wu furrows his eyebrows, he had heard that name somewhere before. He ponders silently for a few brief moments, then it came to him. _

_"You're Master Oogway, the Grandmaster of the Jade Palace and the creator of Kung Fu!" Oogway smiles and nods his head in confirmation. _

_"Whoa." Said Wu, awestruck. _

_"Wait, wait, wait. If you're Oogway, then why didn't you take those guys out yourself?" Asked Jun. _

_"I would have done, had they tried to harm." Said Oogway monotonously. _

_"One of them had a dagger." Wu pointed out. _

_"True, but are you certain he would've used it?" Wu opens his mouth to retort, but his voice fails him so he closes. Oogway parts his lips and speaks in a more serious tone. _

_"Changing the subject, I really appreciate the two of you helping me out. Most people in this town would've walked by, pretending not to notice anything. How can I ever thank you?" Jun cups his chin with the index finger and thumb of his right paw while he folds his left arm over his chest. Jun ponders on what Oogway could do for them. _

_After several silent minutes, an idea flashes within Jun's mind. Jun lowers his arms and returns his gaze to Oogway. _

_"I know what you could do." Said Jun. _

_"Ah, you wish to learn Kung Fu." Jun froze, he blinks twice and stares at the tortoise in confusion. Amused at his reaction, Oogway's lips curl into a wide smiley and he chuckles. _

_"Okay, how did you-" _

_"Know what you wanted?" he cut him off "When you're as old as I am you learn some things." Silence embraces the atmosphere. Wu and Jun stare at Oogway in astonishment._

_"Well," Oogway said, breaking the silence "Come and find me on the outskirts of town tomorrow and we'll begin."_

* * *

"Master Oogway trained your father and I for about four years before he departed. Your father's katana was gift from Oogway, I'm not sure why he gave it to him. All he said was _This weapon shall slay a great evil_. Neither of us knew what he meant at the time."

Wei stares at Jun in disbelief. Not only did he claim to be his father's best friend, but he claims to be a student of Grandmaster Oogway himself. Wei was pondering whether to believe him or not.

"So," Jun continued "Six or seven months later we joined the Imperial. Heh, I'll never forget on your father's face. Due to our Kung Fu training your father and I blasted through the ranks until we were both generals. When we received the news your father literally fainted. Your father used to be such a goofball." Jun's smile falls into a frown.

"That is until, the Battle of the Highlands."

* * *

_Rain storms down relentlessly from the grey sky, lightning flashes and thunder roars amidst the clouds. War cries and clanging steel resound the highlands concurrently. The green grass is stained with the crimson blood of the Imperials and the Mongolians. _

_Jun and Wu stand back-to-back in the midst of the battlefield, the mutilated carcasses of their comrades and enemies encircle their blood-soaked figures. _

_"It's a massacre out here!" Exclaimed Wu. _

_"We can't give up Wu! We must avenge our friends!" _

_"R-Right!"_ _Said Wu, tightening his grip on his katana. The once shiny blade is now stained crimson. Jun and Wu release their battle cries and sprint in opposite directions._

* * *

"That battle changed Wu. He became more serious and he questioned the life we chose."

"Yeah, he told me about the battle. But he made it sound like a great victory though." Said Wei. Jun nods his head.

"It was, but it cost us a lot of good men. Several months after the battle, your father met your mother Ling. They feel head-over-heels for each other instantly. Slowly the tiger your father once was began to surface. Then they got married, Wu asked me to be his best man."

Wei furrows his eyebrows, if Jun was who he claimed he was. Why did he kill Wei's family and slaughter his village.

"A year later I met the love of my life, a lioness named Mai." Jun's lips curl into a warm smile. The clouds separate, so that they no longer cloaked the full moon. The moon radiates silver rays that gleams off the mountain tops.

"Now, she was an angel. She was kind, smart, funny and beautiful... so beautiful. She was my entire world. We became about a week after we met, a year later were engaged. I still remember our wedding day."

* * *

_The sun hangs within the sapphire sky, the golden rays it radiated embrace the world below. Inside a temple within a small, peaceful village. Jun stands at the altar, clad in tradition chinese marriage robes. He patiently and nervously waits for his bride. _

_Then, the temple's wooden double doors open. Jun's bride, Mai strolls down the altar. The dark lion is awed by her beauty. Her fur light brown fur shines in the sunlight behind her and her soft green eyes glisten. A traditional chinese wedding dress drapes elegantly from her slender, curved figure. In her paws she holds a bouquet of gorgeous flowers. _

_Ling, along with the other bridesmaids follow her. Jun's heart bombards against his chest and his paws become sweaty. Mai arrives at the altar, she rotates her body to the right, facing Jun. She smiles dreamily as she stares into his crimson eyes, Jun smiles back. _

_"Dearly beloved," The priest started "We are gathered here today to witness the union of these two souls. Now, the couple will exchange rings. Wu steps closer to Jun and holds out his right fist, he opens his paw revealing two golden rings. _

_Jun and Mai both take a ring and return their gazes to each other. Mai gives Jun her left paw, Jun holds her paw with his right paw ever so delicately and slides the ring on her finger. Jun then gives his left paw to Mai who does the same. _

_"Do you Jun, take Mai to be your lawfully wedded wife, in sickness and in health, till death do you part?" Jun's smile grows wider. _

_"I do." Mai's face lit up and she too smiles wider. _

_"And do you Mai, take Jun to be lawfully wedded husband, in sickness and in health, till death do you part?" _

_"I do." She said. _

_"Then, by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you, husband and wife. You may kiss the bride." Jun wraps his arms around Mai's waist while throws her arm around his neck. The two lean their heads forward and share a passionate kiss, applause uproars the temple as Jun and Mai had now become one._

* * *

"Not long after our wedding, Ling was pregnant with your brother Feng. Your father decided to quit the army, then the goofball your father once was had fully returned. I was happy for, but I'll admit. I missed having him by my side on the battlefield. Six months after Feng was born, my wife got pregnant. No words could describe how happy I was." Jun's smile grows wider, but then the clouds cloak over the moon again. Thus darkening the world, Jun's smile falls into a deep frown.

"But then, that happiness was ripped away from me. A group of bandits attacked our village, I was the first line of the defense..."

* * *

_Jun hacks and slashes with his blood-soaked sword. The bodies of countless bandits fall, pools of blood dilate from their carcasses. After slicing down the last bandit, Jun bends his knees and leans his upper body forward. He pants heavily; his fur and clothes are stained with fresh blood. _

_The sound of a foot stomping upon a puddle of blood echoes in Jun's ears. Jun twists his neck to the left, a lone bandits stands in the midst of the bodies of his men. He is a ocelot, his brown and black fur is stained with blood. His armored kilt is bloodstained and scratched. He glares at Jun with his piercing yellow eyes. In his right paw holds a three foot long sword with a dragon carved into blood-soaked blade. _

_"You!" The ocelot hissed "You killed my men!" Jun straightens his back and glares at the ocelot. _

_"They deserved it, you piece of evil crap!" The ocelot steps and nods his head side to side. _

_"No my friend, evil is matter of perspective. Through your eyes, we're merely bandits who are killing just for the hell of it. But through our perspective we're doing what we have to, to survive." The ocelot shifts his weight. _

_"Oh, and by the way. My name is Shing, and it's the last name you're ever going to here!" Shing sprints towards Jun, releasing a battle cry as he tightens his grip on his sword. _

_Once he was within striking range, Shing swings his sword horizontally towards Jun's neck. Jun crouches down, causing the blade to glide over his head. Jun extends his right leg and leg sweeps Shing. _

_The ocelot grunts once his back hits the ground; a cloud of dust dilates from his person. Shing moans as he rolls onto his stomach, he curls the fingers on his left paw - scooping up some dirt. Jun raises his sword high above his head. _

_"Say goodbye." Before he could bring down his blade, Shing rolls onto his back and throws the dirt into Jun's face. Jun drops his sword which clatters upon the ground, the lion shuts his eyes tight and staggers backwards. Shing hops to feet and charges towards Jun, Shing lifts his right arm high above his head and the bottom of his sword plummets upon the top of Jun's head. _

_Jun lurches forward and collapses, face-first upon the ground. His head throbs in pain and his eyes became heavy, Shing towers over him. _

_"I could kill you right here. But there are worst things then death." As Jun's eyelids close over his eyes, he caught a glimpse of Shing's turning to the left and walking away. Then, his world went black. _

_When Jun's eyelids part, his head still aches with pain. The lion groans as he pulls himself to his feet. He rubs his sore head with his right paw and he blinks twice or thrice as his eyes adjust to his surroundings. _

_He saw that is was dawn, multitudes of house are burnt down or badly damaged. It appeared that the bandit raid is over. Then, one thought came to mind. _

_"Mai" He exclaims. He turns his feet to the left and sprints through the village; the surrounding houses appear as blurs as he speeds throug the streets. Then, he arrived at his house. _

_He eyes widen in horror, his house is wreck. He charges towards the house and kicks down the front door. He spots Wu standing by the doorway to the living room, his expression is grim. _

_"Wu... Where is she?" Jun asked. Wu's obsidian eyes flick towards Jun, his curl into a small smile. _

_"Jun... You're alive. Thank heavens." _

_"Where is she?!" Jun asked. Wu's smile falls and he averts his gaze. Jun began top to panic, his heart races at an abnormal speed. _

_"WHERE IS SHE?!" He screams. Wu remains silent, Jun marches towards the living and he pushes Wu aside. What Jun saw shattered his heart into a million pieces. His wife lies upon the cold wooden floor, her fur and clothes are caked in dried blood. Her bright green eyes are now faded and stare into nothing. Jun's bottom lip quivers. _

_"Oh, Mai..." He said, barley audible. He staggers towards, his vision becomes hazy and tears begin to slide down his face. He drops to knees and stares at her pale face. He cradles her body and begins shaking her. _

_"Come on Mai wake up!" He said, but her form remains silently. He shakes her again. _

_"Don't leave me!" He pleaded. But no avail. He shakes her corpse violently, the tears burn his face. _

_"Mai come on! Dammit, dammit, dammit, dammit!" Something glints in the corner of his vision. Jun twists his neck in the direction of the object. He catches sight of a sword, with a dragon carved onto the blade. It was the same sword Shing wielded. Anger and sorrow conflict within the depths of Jun's mind, he glances down at his dead wife's face. His wife, dead. His unborn child, who will never see the light of day, dead. _

_"RRRRRAAAAAAAAGGGHHHHH!" Jun bellows in agony and he embraces his wife's body tight. Tears cascade down his face._

* * *

"Shing killed my wife, who was innocent. And our child, one who would never gotten the chance live, died with her." Jun's voice was shaky. Wei could tell he is trying his best to fight back the tears. Jun's lips part, he speaks again with a darker tone.

"I spent years searching for him. And when I finally did, I showed no mercy." Jun's body trembles at the memory, whether is was by rage or sorrow, Wei didn't know.

* * *

_Shing sits within a small room, behind a wooden desk. Upon the desk is a dagger, a map of china with red X's painted over certain areas, and countless gold coins. He began to here the abrupt sound of his crying out, bandits barking orders and multiple heavy objects slumping upon the floorboards._

_Shing cocks an eyebrow in confusion. Then suddenly, the rice paper door twelve feet before him was slid open by one of his bandits. Shing flinches and his bugged wide._

_The bandit pants heavy, a trail of blood trickles from the corner of his mouth. His clothes are stained with blood and his right arm had been severed. Shing shoots up from his chair._

_"What's going on?!" He demanded._

_"S-Sir, g-get out of here! I-I-It's-" He was unable to finish his sentence, a silver blade protrudes from his forehead. Shing places his right paw over his mouth and his left paw over his stomach. The blade retreats back into the bandit's skull and blood sprays out of the wound and showers onto Shing's person. The bandit's eyes roll back into his head and his body lurches forward and lands on the floor. A pool of blood dilates from his head._

_A silhouette emerges from the shadows, revealing it to be Jun. Shing's eyes widen in horror, Jun slowly stalks towards him. His crimson eyes are now hollow and lifeless, much like the dead but he is clearly alive._

_Shing backs away but the wall behind him prevents him from going anywhere._

_"Hello Shing, long time no see." Said Jun, there was no emotion in his voice whatsoever. That intimidated the ocelot he begins to whimper with fear._

_Jun maneuvers around the table and halts right in front of Shing. He glares at him with his hollow eyes and expressionless face. Shing's legs shake and his bottom lip quivers in fear._

_"Do you remember Shing?" Jun asked, once again no emotion in his tone. Shing nods reluctantly. Jun swings his right fist into Shing's jaw, the ocelot staggers to the left._

_Shing places his left paw upon his aching cheek. He glances back at Jun who advances towards him. Shing wanted to run, but his muscles are frozen by fear._

_"Do you remember what you took from me?" He asked, his tone is darker this time._

_"Yes..." Shing squeaked. Jun lifts his left arm, revealing a three foot long sword in his grip. A dragon is carved into the blood-soaked blade. That was Shing's weapon the day he and bandits invaded Jun's village. Jun's free paw grips the handle, he swings the blade diagonally onto Shing's left leg._

_The ocelot yelps in pain, Jun swipes the sword diagonally again, but this time on Shing's right leg. Shing winces and collapses onto his posterior._

_Jun's left paw releases its grip on the handle, Jun extends his right arm forward and he then lowers it to Shing's throat._

_"What was it you said to me all those years ago? 'Evil is a matter of perspective'? Well, through my perspective you are nothing but an evil, cowardly and sniveling lump fur. And now, I'm going end your live with the very weapon you used to kill my wife and unborn child."_

_"Please..." Shing begged, his voice shaky "Don't do this... I'm sorry." Jun narrows his eyes, making his icy glare more intimidating._

_"It's too late for that now..." He hissed. Jun raises his sword high above his head and swings it diagonally at Shing. The ocelot's severed head rolls across the floorboards, blood spews from his neck and stains Jun's figure. Shing's decapitated room lurches forward and thuds against the ground, pools of blood dilate from his severed head and his neck._

_Shing's sword slides out of Jun's grip and clatters against the floorboards. Jun turns around and saunters away from the scene, not saying a word._

* * *

"I got my revenge. But I realized, that Shing wasn't the only one of his kind. There are men just like him, some worse. This world is rotten to the core, and on that day I swore I'd create a new world, a world with no more war, no more prejudice and no more innocent people being killed. I will be the god of this new world." Wei tilts his chin downwards and arches an eyebrow.

"And just, how will you create this new world?" Asked Wei. Jun rises to full height and stares down at Wei. A shadows casts over his face, causing his red eyes to glow.

"By destroying this one." He said. Wei's bulge wider than ever before.

"W-What do you mean?"

"My army will march all over the globe. Slaughtering everyone who is deemed unworthy to live in the new world."

"Y-You can't do that!" Wei exclaims. Silence embraces the atmosphere, Jun continues to stare at Wei. His expression is blank.

"That's just what your father said." He said, breaking the silence.

* * *

_Jun watches as his bandits roam the small village, his lips curl into a menacing smirk._

_"Jun!" A familiar voice cries out. Jun flinches in surprise, he slowly rotates his body around and stares at the one before him. Wu Zhao._

_"Wu? What're you doing here?" Jun asked._

_"What're you doing Jun? Why're you doing this?" Wu demanded. Jun's face tightens._

_"It's only way to create a new world Wu." Wu arches an eyebrow in confusion._

_"What're you talking about? Stop this!" Wu demanded. Jun shakes his head side to side._

_"I can't do that."_

_"Brother please. You can't do this! It's madness!"_

_"No, I will build a new world where I am god. Don't you see? Like a phoenix from the ashes, a new world will be born. A better world for everybody. I want you by my side brother, accept my offer and you shall be my right hand." Wu's eyes widen in shock. He shakes his head in disbelief._

_"What happened to you?" He whispered "You've become evil!"_

_"Evil, is matter of perspective!" Wu extends his right arm forward, pointing the tip of his katana at the dark lion._

_"I warn you brother. Stop this madness, or I'll be forced to kill!"_

_"I invite you try." He hissed. Wu sprints towards Jun, releasing a battle cry. Jun does the same and the two former friends clash amidst the flickering amber flames. Unfortunately, due his lack of training and fighting in recent years, Wu was easily defeated._

_Jun lifts Wu from the ground, clutching his throat. Wu begins to gag and tries desperately to inhale air, by Jun's iron grip prevents it from reaching his lungs._

_"Jun... Please... Don't follow this path..." Wu pleaded. Jun lifts his gaze and stares into Wu's eyes, he appeared remorseful._

_"Forgive me brother. But this is the only way." Jun tightens his grip on Wu's necks. Wu gags one more time before his body goes limp and his eyes roll back into his head._

_"Goodbye brother." Jun said quietly. Jun spots movement in the corner of his eye. He turns his gaze towards the movement to see the youngest son of Wu Zhao. Wei. The cub's expression is etched with sorrow, Jun narrows his eyes and drops Wu's body._

_He marches towards the cub, he halts before him and stares down at him with a wicked smile. Jun lifts left paw, his claws unsheathe from his fingertips. Then, his claws plummets down upon the cub._

* * *

"Wei Zhao. Son of Wu and Ling. I offer you the chance to join my cause, become part of the new world. And you shall rule by my side. Don't make the same mistake your father did." Wei's face creases in anger and he grits his teeth.

"The only mistake my father made, was not killing you when he had the chance!" Wei spat. Jun was unaffected.

"Very well then. Wei Zhao, the next time you and I meet. We will battle to the death." With that, Jun turns his feet around and walks away. Wei watches as the lion disappears into the darkness, leaving Wei alone and paralyzed. Wei wrinkles his nose and a growl echoes in his throat.

_"That'll come sooner than you think, you bastard!"_


	28. Chapter 28: The Collapsing Wall

**Chapter 28: The Collapsing Wall**

Wei marched through the cave, passing the multitudes of warriors who were making their final preparations for the assault. Some were practicing with their weapons, some were putting on their armor, and others were sharpening their weapons. The familiar sound of scraping metal pierced his ears.

Not changing his pace, Wei continues passing through the cave until Shang's tent appeared into his line of vision. Wei entered the tent to see Shang standing behind his desk, Xing and Zhuang stood at his right and Cong stood beside him at his left.

Shifu, Po and the Furious Five stood in a formal line before him. Shang lifts his gaze and smiles as he catches sight of Wei.

"Ah, Wei. There you are." Said Shang. Shifu, Po and the Five all turned around facing Wei, their faces lit up once they saw him. Po stepped forward, a glint of relief shone in his jade green eyes.

"Wei, buddy, where have you been? We were worried." Wei puffed through his nose and explained what had happened within the hour. Jun showing up and paralyzing him, that he claimed him and Wei's father were best friends, that he was trained by Oogway alongside Wu. Everything.

Once Wei had finished, silence had flooded the tent. Everyone stared at Wei in disbelief, their eyes bulged and their mouths agape. Wei lowered his gaze, avoiding eye contact with his friends.

Time passed as the others allowed Wei's words to sink in. Finally, Monkey stepped forward and broke the silence.

"Wei, are you sure he was telling the truth?" Not meeting the simian's gaze, Wei shook his head.

"I don't know." Wei answered. Shifu steps forward, he places his left paw behind his back and tightens his grip on his staff.

"I believe Jun _was_ telling the truth." The red panda said. All eyes fell upon Shifu's small figure.

"Why?" Asked Po. Shifu breathed in through his nose and straightened his back.

"Many years ago, Oogway told me of two warriors he trained during his travels. He said that after their training had been completed, he had a vision of one of them taking a dark path. Before now, I had no idea what he was talking about. Now I realize that the two warriors he was referring to were Wei's father and Jun. Jun was the one he predicted would turn evil."

Xing folded his wings over his chest, he lowered his head slightly. Closing his eyes, Xing pondered in silence.

"So," Xing started "How do we defeat a student of the founder of Kung Fu? Jun was the one who trained Kira who trained Shen and Tai Lung. He's stronger than the three of them combined."

"We'll cross that bridge when we come it." Said Shang "Right now, all we need to worry about our battle plan."

The masters nodded their heads before turning around and leaving the tent. The next day everyone made their final preparations, the masters all decided to get in some training before the big battle.

The Resistance waited until nightfall, the sun disappeared beyond the horizon and the moon slowly rose to its highest peak within the dark hues of the night sky. The Resistance marched from their hideout towards Jun's fortress; they were numbered in the millions. All of them were clad in armor and wielding swords, pikes, axes and a variety of others weapons. One of the soldiers carried a large cart loaded with a pile of power kegs, which they plan on using to blow apart the south wall.

As they marched through a narrow valley in between two mountains, Shang - who marched in front of the army, felt a slight weight on his right shoulder. He glanced at his shoulder and saw a white paw, his amethyst eyes trailed along the white, black-striped arm until he saw who it belonged to.

His eyes spread wider and his lips parted. Marching behind him was his sister, Mei-Lien. She wore a metal breastplate, metal shoulderguards, metal gauntlets and a sheathed sword tied to her right hip.

"Mei-Lien? What're you doing here?! You're supposed to be back at the cave!" He scolded. Mei-Lien retracted her arm and knit her eyebrows.

"What and let you hog all the fun? No way!" Shang grimaced at his sister.

"Mei-Lien! This is not _fun_, tonight is the night when the Resistance's goal finally becomes reality. Not all of us will be walking away from this alive."

"I know that. I just want to do my part, besides I'll be fine. Wei taught how to use a sword." Shang glared over his right shoulder and grimaced at Wei who averted his gaze.

Shang forwarded his gaze and let out a sigh.

"You better stay close to me, Mei-Lien." He told her.

"No, _you_ better stay close to _me_." Shang rolled eyes and continued his march. As soon as the Resistance exited the valley, they marched through a wide green field. The once bright green grass was now darkened by the night's embrace.

The army trooped up a high grassy hill where Jun's fortress ascended into sight. A luminous amber light radiated from within the walls of the fort.

Shang shuffled a few steps ahead of the group, he stopped and turned around facing his troops. His expression was stern.

"Alright men," He started "Tonight is the night we've waited for. Tonight, Jun will fall and the Highlands will be free of his tyrannical reign!"

Multitudes of swords, spears, axes, warhammers, poleaxes and other weapons were raised high into the air and the cheers of thousands blared into the night. The corner of Shang's lips curled into a smile, he had waited years for this moment as had his men.

But the moment was cut short as an explosion of dirt erupted from one of the flanks. Dismembered body parts flew in all directions as the others stared, open mouthed at the horrific scene.

All eyes fell to the large crater where the flank once stood, sitting in the crater was a large cannonball. Shang whips his head in the direction of the fort and his eyes dart across the mile long field between them and the fort.

Jun's army stood, armed before the fortress' south wall. Several cannons stand atop the wall, aimed at the Resistance. Shang's body trembled in horror.

"I-Impossible." He stammered, his voice barely audible.

"Fire!" One of Jun's soldiers commanded. The troops stationed at the cannons lit the fuses and several cannonballs exploded out of the cannons and soared towards the Resistance.

"Fall back!" Ordered Cong. Without hesitation the army shrunk back behind the hill. Cannonballs either soared overhead and hit a few unlucky soldiers, or they collided against the hill, sending heaps of dirt and grass showering onto the front flanks.

Shifu, the Dragon Warrior, the Furious Five and the Demon Swordsman all emerged from the front flanks and approached Shang and his generals.

"What happened?!" Shifu bellowed.

"I don't know, they knew we were coming somehow!" Replied Shang.

"We're screwed!" Exclaimed Xing. Wei peaked his head over the hill top and stared at the cannons shooting at them.

"Maybe not." Wei said.

"What do you mean?" Asked Po.

"The cannons, they can aim side-to-side but not up and down." Xing shuffled forward, he clutched the spear he held in his right wing. His left wing grabbed onto the front of the spear and Xing held the weapon diagonally in front of his chest.

"Alright then, me and my flock will fly overhead and take out those cannons."

"Not an option, I can see a large number of archers down there. If you attempt to fly, you'll be shot down."

"Dammit!" Xing's face creased in anger.

"So what do we do?" Asked Mei-Lien.

"Our only option is charge."

"No way!" Shang said, taking a step forward "It's suicide!" Wei's eyes flick towards Shang; blue and amethyst glow in the night.

"What choice do we have? We're sitting ducks over here Shang! By the time their army advances, our numbers will have plummeted. They'll overwhelm us in minutes." Shang opened his mouth to retort but his words got stuck in his throat. He closed his mouth and averted his gaze.

"Fine." He murmured. Shang turned his gaze to his men and said "Well, you heard the man! Charge!"

The army composed themselves, with weapons raised and battlecries blaring out, they charged. Each soldier sprinted across the field as fast as his or her feet could go; cannonballs rained down from the sky and decimated any soldier unlucky enough to be in the line of fire.

Luckily the Resistance managed to get close enough so that the cannons were unable to aim for them. The archers in Jun's army raised their bows high and shot arrows into the air.

Multitudes of arrows showered down from the sky like heavy rain.

"Defense tactic alpha!" Barked Shang. The troops raised their shields high above their heads as the raining arrows plummeted towards them. Multiple clangs and thuds resound the atmosphere as the arrows bounced off and lodged themselves into the ocean shields.

The shower of arrows slowly subsided until it had stopped completely. The Resistance troops lowered their shields and advanced toward's Jun's army. The soldier pulling the cart of power kegs smelt something akin to burning wood.

He whipped his head towards the power kegs and saw that a flaming arrows had lodged itself into one of the top kegs. His mouth fell open and his eyes spread wide. He shot his gaze towards Shang.

"Shang!" He cried. Shang glanced over his right shoulder at the soldier. He saw the flaming arrow and spun around facing the cart. Shang's legs shook in fear, his eyes bugged wider than ever and his mouth fell agape.

"Oh shit!" He exclaimed. Everyone gazed at the flaming arrow lodged in the power keg and multiple gasps filled the atmosphere.

"Someone get it out!" One of the soldiers exclaimed.

"It's stuck, I can see it from here." A female soldier replied.

"If those kegs blow it's all over." Shang said in a shaky voice. Xing lowered his head until his chin touched his chestplate. A million thoughts ran through his mind; finally he had an idea. He didn't like it, but there was no other option.

Xing dropped his spear and hurried towards the cart. He pushed the soldier in charge of dragging the cart aside and he clutched the cart with his talons. Xing spread out his wings and begun flapping them, Xing dragged the cart at unbelievable speed much to the confusion of his comrades.

Shang shuffled forward, his gaze locked on the hawk dragging the cart through Jun's army. He placed his paws beside his mouth and called out to his general.

"Xing! What're doing?! Come back! Xing!"

"Boss!" Cried the flock. But their words failed to reach Xing as he was too far away. Xing continued dragging the cart through Jun's army, numerous troops yelled at him.

Xing managed to finally break through the jungle of soldiers and had reached the south wall. A broad smile split his face, but he suddenly felt an abrupt and sharp pain in his right wing.

Xing tumbled to the ground and rolled a few feet, leaving a trail of dust in his wake. The cart continued to roll until is hit the wall. Xing's face creased in pain, his muscles tightened as heat enveloped his entire wing.

He snapped open his right eye and saw an arrow protruding from his wing. A lone soldier stalked towards him, clutching a sword tight in his left paw. He stepped in front of Xing's injured form and raised the sword high above his head.

"Any last words bird?" He said with a sneer. Xing forced his gaze up and smirked at the soldier.

"I'll see you in hell!" He muttered. The soldier lowered his sword and cocked his eyebrow. His nose then twitched as a familiar scent crawled through his nostrils. He slowly rotated his body, facing the cart of gunpowder kegs. His eyes bulged at the sight of the flaming arrow.

"Oh, son of a-"

_BOOM_

A dome of fire erupted into the air, consuming a great number Jun's army. Hundreds of fiery tongues licked at the south wall, cracks ascended up the stone until the wall finally collapsed.

A cloud of dust swooped across the field, devouring not only Jun's army but half of the Resistance as well. Thousands of warriors coughed as the dust seeped down their throats.

After what felt like hours, the cloud of dust subsided. Shang took a few steps forward and stared at the scene before him. The entire south wall of Jun's fortress had been reduced to a large pile of rubble.

What was left of Jun's army charged the Resistance. There were still thousands of them; something then floated gracefully in front of Shang's face. The white tiger flinched his head and his left foot stepped back.

Descending in front of him was a brown feather, a hawk's feather, Xing's feather. Shang lifted his left paw and Xing's feather landed on his palm. Tears formed in Shang's eyes, his face then creases in anger and he closes his fingers over the feather. Shang grabbed the handle of his sword with his right paw and yanked the blade from its sheath.

He pointed his sword at Jun's advancing army.

"For Xing the Great!" He bellowed. The troops lifted their weapons into the air.

"For Xing the Great!" They repeated. Then, the Resistance charged Jun's army. Battlecries echoed throughout the Highlands. The Wrath of the Resistance and Fury of Jun's army were both unleashed.

* * *

Jun stood atop the balcony of his tower, watching the ensuing chaos. He took a sip of wine through pursed lips and continued to watch the battle unfold.

"Kira! Shen! Tai Lung!" The three warriors emerged from the darkness within Jun's throne room. They flanked and bowed respectively to Jun.

"Yes, Supreme Leader?" They asked in unison.

"It appears the south wall has been destroyed. Assist the troops will you?" He request.

"Yes Supreme Leader." They said in unison once more. Shen sprinted towards the edge of the balcony and leaped off. Shen's wings and tail feathers expanded as he soared into the air towards the battle. Kira hopped off the edge of the balcony and plummeted towards the ground.

Tai Lung crouched down on all fours and leaped off the balcony. He unsheathed his claws and dug them into the front of the tower. Tai Lung charged down the face of the tower on all fours.

Jun stood alone on the balcony. An amused smile stretched across his muzzle.

"It's appears the fun, has just begun."

**There you have it, the great battle is beginning and Xing's dead. I know this chapter sucked, but I literally had to force myself to write this chapter because I was having a serious case of writer's block. So, sorry it didn't come out very well. Stay tuned!**


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